A Journey Through the Stars
by OpenBookLina
Summary: Ariel wasn't a stranger when it came to experiencing the evil of the Galactic Empire firsthand. When she was six, her world was ripped apart, however she found a sense of hope after meeting a certain princess, creating a lifelong friendship and, years later, igniting an adventure she never saw coming, involving a pirate and a farm boy would would be the galaxy's last hope.
1. A Perfect Day

**Soooo why am I adding another story? Because I like a challenge and sometimes just don't think, haha.**

 **Hello everyone! Okay, so I've been a Star wars fan for quite some time now, thanks to my amazing family who finally got me to sit down and actually give the movies a try. Needless to say, after watching A New Hope, I was instantly hooked, and it became my favorite out of the original six movies. Ever since then I have become a big fan of the series, and I now have all movies including The Force Awakens, a Darth Vader blanket, and I'm contemplating searching the internet for a mini R2-D2 robot, hahaha.**

 **Anyway, this is an idea that I've had in my head for some time, and I know this topic is popular in the fanfiction world, but I wanted to give it a go and try it out for myself. Just as a heads up, this story will stick pretty darn close to cannon, but with my own twists, and it will have all the good stuff we love: action, love, betrayal, power, and so much more. I will do my best to make this story as good as people expect or hope it will be, and depending on how this one goes will determine any future sequels/prequels, side stories, etc. Now if you are all reading this, that means I actually have time to write this one out, and this is only the first of many chapters I have typed up and ready to go, although I plan on posting them only once a week.**

 **Well, with that being said, I present to you the first chapter of A Journey Through the Stars, and I hope you all like it. If there are any questions, comments, or concerns, please message me. Just a heads up, while I do love everything to do with Star Wars I am not one hundred percent addicted, meaning I am not knowledgeable about every little detail or history in the Star Wars universe, so every once in a while you may find a name or term that is not familiar. Also, as far as my actual knowledge of Star Wars goes, I have seen all movies (inclusing the most recent Solo movie) but this chapter was actually types out over a year ago at least. I have only seen clips of the Clone Wars and Rebels series, never sat down and watched the full episodes, and I read maybe only two books. So since my knowledge of terms/lore/history is limited I only ask that if you come accross something in my chapters that is wrong or is confusing please just point it out to me and I will explain/fix it.**

 **Anyway, if you guys have any questions or comments please let me know and review to let me know what you think. Just as a warning, there more than likely will be slow updates for this story aince my Harry Potter ones are my top priority at the moment. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I'll see you at the bottom. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing in Star Wars! It all belongs to the amazing George Lucas and the wonderful minds at Disney.**

Chapter One: A Perfect Day

ArielPOV

"Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

Ariel giggled as she curled tighter into herself, trying to make herself as invisible as possible as she hid underneath the kitchen table, watching as a pair of feet slowly inched around it and the woman who they belonged to, wondered aloud where she could be.

"Now, where could my little girl be hiding, hmm?" Ariel heard her muse, and she had to place her hands over to mouth to keep herself from giggling even further. "I could have sworn I saw her around here somewhere. Is she in the cabinet? No, not there…surely not in the closet? Not there either. I wonder…could she be _under the table?_ "

Ariel couldn't help but squeal in delight as the woman bent down suddenly, and the small child was greeted by the lovely, smiling face of her mother, Karina. Karina's face seemed to glow as she smiled radiantly at her young daughter, her jade green eyes sparkling and loose strands of her goldenrod hair framing her sun-kissed cheeks. She reached out for Ariel, but the child, thinking quick, ducked out of her mother's reach and scrambled to her feet out on the other side of the table, shrieking with laughter as she went. She began sprinting round and round the table with Karina on her heels, her braids bouncing on her shoulders as she moved. Soon she made a brake for the back door leading out into the backyard, thrusting it open and shooting out into the bright sunlight, her bare feet padding against the smooth blades of grass. Karina followed her all the way outside, lifting the skirts of her dress as she ran all the way to the prune tree, where Ariel had darted behind in hope of cover. The beaming six-year-old continued on laughing as Karina reached the tree, peeking over one side with a mischievous grin.

"I'm going to get you, Ariel," she taunted playfully.

"No!" Ariel countered through her giggles, looking for a way out, but finding it difficult with Karina watching her every move. Eventually, Ariel decided the risk was worth it and shot out to the left, making a dash for the crumbling stone wall that circled the perimeter of their farm. However, she barely even ran for five seconds before she felt a pair of gentle yet firm hand wrap themselves around her waist, twist her around and hoist her high into the air. She let out another squeal and marveled at her capture, smiling down at her mother, who started swinging her around in circles.

"You got me, Mama! You got me!" Ariel said gaily.

"I sure did. And I'm never letting you go," Karina said, joining in on her daughter's laughter as she pulled Ariel back down closer to her chest and then toppled them both down to the ground. Soon they were rolling together down the tiny slope, the blades of grass itching their faces and the dirt staining their skirts. Soon they came to a stop, with Ariel laying on top of Karina in a giggling frenzy, her hair falling out of her braids in a wild fashion, and her smile bright enough to light up the entire universe. For a moment the two of them paused in their fun to catch their breaths, with Karina still holding Ariel close to her, using her fingers to wipe away a smudge of dirt that was on her face.

"Let's play again, Mama," Ariel said breathlessly. "Now it's my turn to catch you!"

"I'm afraid that's enough play for right now, sweetheart," Karina said as she pushed herself up into a sitting position and placed Ariel in her lap. "We need to go back inside for mid-meal, and then we have to finishing preparing the crops for the market sale."

"But Mama," Ariel whined, her happiness quickly deflating at the thought of stopping their game.

"None of that, Ariel," Karina said sternly, taking hold of Ariel's hands. "What do I always tell you?"

"When you put your mind to the task ahead, happiness awaits at the end," Ariel replied.

"Exactly," Karina said with a kind smile. "Once we have everything prepared for the market sale, we can play a little more before we have evening-meal, okay? And don't forget, Mr. Kudo is coming over tonight as well—"

"Come on Mama, we have to have mid-meal and finish the crops!" Ariel exclaimed as she pulled her hands free from her mother and then dashed back up the slope and towards the house as fast as her feet could carry her. How could she forget that Mr. Kudo was coming over for evening-meal?! She'll have to work extra hard to help her mother make sure everything gets done.

Mr. Kudo was their neighbor who lived just over a mile down the dirt road, more into the depths of the wood that surrounded the valley in which they lived, in their village. Ariel admired him greatly and enjoyed his company very much, despite his seemingly intimidating appearance. He came by their farm every once in a while, sometimes to help out with the chores if need be, and he always made sure to slip some treats into Ariel's pocket whenever he saw her. The little girl also loved the stories that Mr. Kudo would tell—tales of the old Republic, of brave warriors, high speed chases, and daring duels that he had been involved in during his youth. Ariel would always listen to his stories with rapt attention, so engrossed in them she could picture everything in her mind so very clearly. Mr. Kudo was a kind old soul, so very wise, and Ariel loved it when he came over to visit.

Therefore, she rushed into the house and hurriedly washed herself off before seating herself at the kitchen table to wait impatiently as Karina finished cooking their mid-meal. Once Karina placed a bowl of hot stew onto the table Ariel wasted no time in digging in, having to be scolded by her mother to slow down and not burn her tongue. Despite her rushed attitude, it was a very lovely meal, where Ariel and Karina talked about little things, such as the market sale that was to take place in a few days and what they could do with the extra money they got from the crops and produce they usually sell. Karina was toying with the idea of possibly buying an old model droid to help around the house, while Ariel practically begged to buy a couple animals for her to play with. Promising that they would see how the sale goes before considering getting any animals, Karina and Ariel finished their meal, washed the dishes and then headed outside to gather their crops.

Ariel ran ahead of her mother with the glee and innocence only a small child could have, her wicker basket swinging from her arm and a slight skip in her step as she made her way out into the field where they were growing their produce and herbs, all lined up in lush colors of greens, yellows, oranges and browns, their stems intertwining and their roots stretching deep into the dirt. Karina set all of their baskets down in the middle of one isle of Kriffnuts and then she set to work on pulling them from the ground, along with Ariel. For the next few hours it was constantly pulling and packing as they picked all of their Kriffnuts and then moved on to their Lubos, Ferns, and Laibeens. It was hard work, testing their will and their muscles, and Ariel, being so small, could not move as fast as Karina, but with their combined effort they were able to get the job done just as the sun started to set in the sky. By the time they were finished, they had baskets as well as crates filled to the brim with all of their products, ready to be sealed and taken down to the market sale. Once everything was accounted for, the two of them went back into the house, where Karina set to work on their dinner and Ariel ran up to her room to retrieve her favorite doll, which her mother made for her on her last birthday, consisting of soft, almost satin-like material stuffed with sand, with thin brown yarn stitched to the head to represent hair and a pretty painted face smiling back at her, complete with a simple blue dress. Ariel had been positively thrilled with her gift, and had taken to carrying the precious doll almost everywhere she went, affectionately naming her Luna. Holding Luna close, Ariel made her way back downstairs and settled herself on the kitchen floor to play while Karina finished their supper. A little while later, there was a sudden knock at their front door and Ariel practically leapt to her feet in her excitement, racing out of the kitchen and darting into the front room, where she threw open the door and beamed upon seeing the being on the other side.

"Mr. Kudo!" she squealed in delight as she rushed forward and tackled him, throwing her tiny arms around his waist. Mr. Kudo had bright blue scales that covered most of his body, small, black beady eyes, clawed hands, a long snout, and a bald head with stringy, wire-like white hairs sticking out on the sides by his pointy ears. He wore long, brown robes with a hood, covering a tan tunic with matching pants that have been worn with age. Mr. Kudo smiled down at the young girl attaching to his mid-section and tenderly patted her head, looking down into her bright green eyes.

"Hello, Ariel," Mr. Kudo greeted. "How are you, dear youngling?"

"I'm okay, thanks," Ariel said, refusing to remove her grip from him. "Mama's making nurf tenders with grains!"

"That does sound delicious," Mr. Kudo said. "Why don't we go and see if she needs any help?"

Ariel nodded her head vigorously at the suggestion but refused to loosen her grip on his waist, preferring to hold on tight as Mr. Kudo dragged her along with him, her giggles floating as he took her into the kitchen where Karina was dishing out the delicious food.

"Ariel," Karina reprimanded.

"No harm done, Karina, this little one was just excited," Mr. Kudo said. "How are you?"

"I am good, thank you, Kudo," Karina replied. "All right Ariel, take a seat now, sweetheart, it is time to eat."

The next half hour or so was filled with the content sounds of forks and spoons scraping against plates as the hot meal Karina prepared was eaten with much appreciation and delight, with Ariel swinging her small legs back and forth in her chair as she told Mr. Kudo all about her imaginary adventures that she's had with Luna and the friendly wildlife that lived close to her home.

"And then we blew up the station with our blasters and flew away on flying Banthas!" she said, ending one superb story of how she saved Luna from the evil clutches of the Stormtroopers.

"My, that is quite the adventure you had, young one," Mr. Kudo chuckled.

"Yeah, and we're going to have a lot more when I'm older," Ariel said with confidence, holding Luna to her side as she continued eating the last bites of her food. "I'm going to get a ship, then me, Mama, and Luna are going to fly through the galaxy! Right, Mama?"

"One day maybe, sweetie," Karina answered with a small smile.

"Your daughter certainly has a knack for telling interesting stories," Mr. Kudo stated.

"Mama does too, she tells me about the adventures she went on too," Ariel said. "She saved a whole kingdom when she was a little girl, and she was the princess."

"My imagination was quite wild, once upon a time," Karina explained, taking a sip from her cup. "Are you done, Ariel?"

"Yes Mama," the young girl replied with a nod. "Mr. Kudo, do you want to play?"

"Ariel, I'm sure Mr. Kudo must be feeling very tired," Karina said.

"Nonsense, it would be my pleasure," Kudo said, wiping his mouth before turning to the child. "What game would you like to play?"

"Ohh, let's play Beat the Bonkas!" Ariel said as she jumped up from her seat and grabbed a hold of Luna in her excitement. "We can make a fort in the front room! We need reintortments to stop the Bonkas from invading!"

" _Reinforcements,_ dear," Karina corrected.

"Yeah, that!" Ariel said, practically jumping up and down. "Come on, Mr. Kudo!"

"You go ahead and start on the fort Ariel, while I help your mother clean up," Kudo said. "I will be there shortly."

"Okay, come on Luna, let's go," Ariel said as she shot out of the kitchen and into the front room, already picturing the structure of the fort in her mind. She started getting to work instantly, taking the two wooden chairs sitting in the corners and arranging them a certain way, along with the two couch cushions, table light, a small stack of holo-books, and the side table. Ariel looked at her fort, quite proud of herself, before she realized that she needed a roof of some kind. But what should she use? Maybe her bedsheets from upstairs? That would be great, but she should probably ask her mother first. Darting out from behind her soon to be finished fort, Ariel started heading back over towards the kitchen when the sudden sound of raised voices stopped her in her tracks.

"…is not going to be involved in this!"

Ariel smile was wiped off her face at her mother's tone and she skittered to a halt just outside of the kitchen next to the doorway. She stood there for a moment, surprised at how sharp and unyielding her voice was. Was she mad at Mr. Kudo? Were they fighting? Holding Luna closer to her chest, Ariel leaned against the wall separating her from the kitchen and listened in while being hidden.

"You know I would never suggest you risking your daughter's life, Karina," Mr. Kudo said in a calm, soothing voice. "I was only suggesting that maybe she should know some of the truth, that's all."

"She's only six years old," Karina countered, her voice lower than it was before. "I want her to grow up living a normal childhood, not with those thoughts haunting her."

"How much longer do you think she will have the opportunity to live a normal childhood?" Mr. Kudo asked. "The Empire's stretching out its hand further across the galaxy every day, and it won't be long before we find ourselves under its shadow. I have a felt it, Karina…a great disturbance in the Force. I feel that something terrible is bound to happen, although I cannot tell what it is."

"Knowing the Force, I'm sure it's something unthinkable," Karina muttered, and Ariel could hear the frown in her tone. "All it ever does is bring pain."

"You know that is not true," Mr. Kudo said softly.

"Give me one reason why I should think otherwise," Karina said, and Ariel heard the sound of water hitting the dishes. "It's bad enough you fill Ariel's head with it. She's not a Padawan."

"I know, but she still should know about the ways of the Force, even if she cannot practice it herself," Mr. Kudo said. "If she grasps it early, then she can see the light of this world, rather than the dark."

"Not this early though," Karina said. "It's not for you to decide, you're not her father!"

There was a moment of complete silence, and Ariel hardly breathed as she continued to listen, wondering why her mother was so upset.

"I-I'm sorry, Kudo," Karina whispered, her voice going from bitterly sharp to gently saddened. "I know how much she means to you. I didn't mean…"

"I understand," Mr. Kudo assured her softly. "I do admit, you and Ariel have come to be important to me, but I know that I could never take Ariel's father's place, nor is it my intention."

"I know that. I just…the work you and I do…I would rather wait to let Ariel be aware of it. She's still so very young, I want her to have a normal life before it gets ruined."

"You want to keep her safe, like any other good parent," Mr. Kudo praised in approval. "But you must also remember that the horrors of your past that you keep buried will not be brought upon Ariel."

"How can you be so certain, Kudo? My biggest fear is that the shadow of my past will take it's vengeance on my daughter. I—I already lost so much, if anything happened…"

There was another moment of silence, and Ariel's face fell, feeling incredibly saddened by Karina's voice. Why was her mother so upset? What was wrong?

"Anyway, here is what I have gathered from our intel from the market last week," Karina finally muttered. "Will you make sure it gets there safely?"

"Of course," Mr. Kudo replied. "When are you meeting with him again?"

"In two days," Karina answered. "How long will you be gone?"

"Not long, I have an arrangement set up so that I may leave tonight," Mr. Kudo said. Ariel had no idea what her mother or Mr. Kudo was talking about and their word confused her greatly. Mr. Kudo was leaving? Where was he going? Why did her mother sound so angry with him earlier? Did she do something wrong? Feeling bad about eavesdropping, Ariel slowly walked out from her hiding place, entering the kitchen in time to see Mr. Kudo place something inside of his robes. The two adults looked over to Ariel as she entered, and Karina's eyes grew wide.

"Ariel," she said. "Sweetheart, what are you doing?"

"I—I wanted to ask if I could use my bedsheets for the fort," Ariel said quietly, biting her bottom lip. "I heard you and Mr. Kudo arguing…did I do something bad?"

"Oh Ariel ," Karina sighed softly, walking over to her daughter and wrapping her up in a warm hug, stroking the back of her head. "No baby, you didn't do anything bad. Mama and Mr. Kudo were just talking about something important, and Mama got frustrated, that's all. You know you're not supposed to be listening in on other people's conversations, though."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Ariel said, hugging her back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kudo."

"It's all right, youngling," Mr. Kudo said with a kind smile. "What do you say we go and finish that fort, huh?"

Some of Ariel's earlier excitement returned to her and she smiled as she broke off from her mother's hug, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then left the kitchen to go upstairs and grab her bedsheets, with Mr. Kudo trailing behind her.

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Later on that night, when a wonderful game of Beat the Bonkas was well spent, and resulting in a very messy front room, Ariel was bouncing on her bed, her face positively beaming with glee as she rose and fell, her covers bunched up around her feet and her hair dancing around her as she moved, her jade green eyes twinkling. The soft hue of her lamp cast dancing shadows along the vibrant green walls of her room, across holo-pictures and shelves holding toys. A giggle left Ariel's mouth as she continued bouncing on her bed in circles, and it kept on going even after the door to her room opened and a gentle yet stern voice called out to her.

"Ariel, you were supposed to go to sleep ten minutes ago," said Karina.

"But Mama, I can't sleep!" Ariel exclaimed, pointing out of her window where a beautiful aurora was shifting across the sky, weaving in between the stars in a mixture of different lovely colors. "The sky is awake! So I'm awake!"

Ariel continued on with her bouncing at this point, her innocent smile lighting up the room even more while Karina sighed softly and managed to give her daughter a smile despite herself.

"Where do the colors come from, Mama?" Ariel asked in between bounces. "Do the angels make them? The ones you told me about?"

"I'm not sure sweetheart," Karina replied as she crossed the room and took a seat on the mattress. "Although I wouldn't be surprised, something so pure and beautiful could only be made by something equally as beautiful. Now that is enough playtime, it's time for bed."

"But I'm not tired!" Ariel protested stubbornly.

"Ariel," Karina said, furrowing her eyebrows and giving her a tone that clearly said this was not up for discussion. Ariel, being on the receiving end of that tone many times, instantly stopped bouncing and her face fell.

"I'm not tired," she repeated softly.

"Come here and lay down," Karina instructed, reaching around to straighten out the blankets and pull them back. "I'll play with your hair until you fall asleep."

"Can you tell me a story, Mama?" Ariel asked as she reluctantly fell down onto her bed and pushed herself underneath the covers as Karina pulled them over her. "Please?"

"Which one do you want to hear?"

"The one about you and Papa," Ariel said, a smile on her face. "That one's my favorite."

"Ariel, you've heard this one a thousand times," Karina said, shaking her head while giving Ariel a tender and amused smile.

"Pleeeeeeeaasee?" Ariel pouted, making her eyes nice and big, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Oh, all right then," Karina said with a light laugh. "But after that it's straight to bed, missy."

Ariel nodded her head eagerly as she snuggled up against her mother, grabbing Luna and tucking her underneath her arm. Karina smiled down at her as she leaned back against the headboard, using one hand to run her fingers through Ariel's wavy locks and resting the other one in her lap.

"Well, once upon a time, there was a lonely girl named Karina who lived on a planet so very far away across the galaxy," Karina started. "She lost her family when she was little, and had to work for a mean, bad creature called the Blocka."

"Meanie Blocka," Ariel said, scrunching her nose in distaste.

"Yes, he was big, green, and really smelly," Karina chuckled. "Karina worked for him for a long time until she was able to escape with the help of a kind man who took her to another planet where he offered her a job working in his home. A while later, Karina met a boy, who was so very handsome and brave as well, and was one of the best soldiers in the army."

"Papa!" Ariel beamed, knowing the man who had stolen her mother's heart so long ago. "Papa was a good guy, wasn't he?"

"You bet, honey," Karina agreed, her smile becoming more nostalgic. "Your papa was an excellent fighter, and he was a part of many missions during the war. His name was Kaden. He and Karina met during her apprenticeship to a wise healer and they soon began courting each other."

"What's courting again, Mama?" Ariel asked curiously. "And ap—apren…"

"Apprenticeship, dear. It's when a master takes in a student to teach them their trade, such as healing people who were sick or hurt, like Mama does sometimes dor our village. And Courting is when a man takes a woman for special outings," Karina explained. "One time your papa took me all the way to the Zaldan System, just to see the aurora at its brightest, and we had a picnic there as well. Anyway, Karina and Kaden courted for a long while until they decided to get married."

"I bet you were the most beautiful bride ever!" Ariel stated with bright eyes.

"Your papa certainly thought so," Karina said. "It wasn't a big wedding, just small enough for his family, and a few of our dear friends."

"Didn't your family come too, Mama?"

"No, sweetheart," Karina answered, her smile turning sad at this. "I didn't really have any family, but it was okay, because Kaden was my new family."

"Was this your wedding ring?" Ariel asked, curiously pointing at the ring resting on the hand that was in her lap. Out of everything they owned, Ariel knew that this ring was especially precious to Karina, and one of her most treasured items. It was a worn, simple silver ring that had a beautiful white stone the size of a tiny pebble embedded in it that looked as though it was dipped in stardust, shining brightly even in the dim light.

"No, this wasn't my wedding ring, I wear that one on this hand," Karina said, gesturing to the other simple golden band that she wore on her left hand, engraved with tiny flower designs. "This one here was a gift."

"From who, Mama?"

"Nice try missy, no more distractions, now. Let's get back to the story. Years later, as the war was ending, Kaden had gone off with others to find the last of the evil droids to put an end to it…but something went very wrong. The battle turned bad, and…and then…"

"And Papa went away?" Ariel said quietly, her happiness fading away as it always did at this part in the story. Karina was silent as she took a deep breath, her eyes becoming glossy looking. Ariel always hated seeing her mother cry, it made her feel bad. She knew that Mama loved Papa so very much, and she missed him all the time. These bedtime stories were precious to her, as it always hurt Karina to talk about Kaden, so she didn't mention him too often. Ariel took hold of her mother's hand and began tracing patterns into her palm as a way to make her feel better. She was rewarded with a weak smile, as Karina seemed to be pulling herself together.

"Yes, Papa went away," she confirmed. "Mama was very, very sad when he was gone, but she eventually realized that everything would be okay. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because when your Papa died, he became one with the Force," Karina whispered slowly, yet lovingly. "Do you remember what Mr. Kudo told you about the Force?"

"Yes," Ariel said with a nod. "But I thought you didn't like it? Isn't that why you were mad earlier?"

"Mama just gets mad with certain aspects of the Force," Karina said, looking as if she was having trouble explaining what she meant. "There are bad things about the Force that Mama doesn't like, so sometimes it's hard to remember that there are good things as well. Your Papa is now a part of something that flows through all living things, something that watches over us and guides us through our lives. Papa is a part of something good, and even though we miss him, he will not truly be gone from us, not really. Sometimes Mama just needs to remember that. Once he was gone, Karina left her home, and ran away to the far reaches of the universe. She was so sad that she never wanted to feel any sort of love again, because she was scared she would lose it as she did before. But soon she would break that promise to herself, because later on, she met someone who she would love more than anything in the galaxy: a beautiful baby girl, named Ariel. Karina and Ariel moved to Lothal to start a new life for themselves, and together they lived happily ever after."

"I like that story," Ariel said, casting her eyes downward to where she was still playing with Gwen's hand. "I wish Papa was here, though."

Karina drew Ariel in for a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her shoulders in a comforting fashion. Ariel returned the hug with equal force, savoring the love that poured off of her in great waves.

"Me too, sweetie," she mumbled. "All right, you've had your story, now let's get you tucked into bed."

Ariel suddenly realized that she was much more tired than she had been before, her mother's gentle voice lulling her to sleep as well as her fingers in her hair. The child let out a short yawn before nodding her head and rubbing at her eyes. Karina moved to stand up and then tucked the covers around Ariel's tiny body as the little girl placed her head on the pillow.

"Mama?" Ariel muttered sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Can we go to the Zaldi…um, Zalee…"

"Zaldan system?"

"Yeah, that," Ariel said. "Can we go to where Papa took you on the picnic?"

"Maybe one day," Karina replied after a brief moment of silence.

"Tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow," Karina chuckled. "Arden and Zula are coming over tomorrow, remember?"

"Oh, right," Ariel said through another yawn, forgetting that their neighbors were going to help them get ready for the trip to the market together. "When will Mr. Kudo be back?"

"What?"

"Earlier, he said he was going away."

"Oh, he just had some business to take care of," Karina replied. "He'll be back before you know it."

"What kind of business?"

"Never you mind, little lady," Karina said, ending the topic with a wave of her hand and a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "No more stalling. It's bedtime."

Ariel, feeling herself fall under the blissful spell of sleep nodded once before finally closing her eyes and snuggling deeper underneath the blankets, her little chest rising and falling as she went into a deep slumber.

It only felt as though Ariel had been asleep for a few minutes before a thundering sound suddenly woke her up, her eyes snapping open and a startled gasp leaving her mouth as she stared wildly around, wondering what had happened. The loud and strange sound was coming from outside, and it was one that she had never heard before. As the seconds ticked on, the noise became even louder, slowly reaching a point where it Ariel had to cover her ears, her body trembling. It was a heavy rumbling sound, and soon the source of it started making the ground shake ever so slightly. All of a sudden, a blinding ray of white light shone through the glass panes, and Ariel grunted as she held up a hand to shield her eyes away from the light. In the next moment, there was the sound of feet thundering up the stairs and in the next moment, the door to her room opened with a hiss and Karina dashed inside, her eyes wide with fear and dread, a cold sweat on her forehead and her movements frantic, her hair falling out of its loose bun. The terrified, panicked and sickly expression on her mother's pale face had a sense of foreboding and fright swell up in Aril's chest.

"Mama," Ariel whimpered, now more awake than ever.

"Ariel, come with me, now!" Karina said, hurrying over and grabbing Ariel's arm. With one swift yank, she pulled her daughter to her feet and then the two of them were flying down the stairs. Ariel's heart was pounding as they moved, and the dark house was suddenly lit up with the blinding white lights that were outside, and from the distance, Ariel could hear another loud rumble and thumping noise, as if something extremely heavy had touched the ground not too far away. Keeping a tight hold on Ariel's hand, Karina pulled her through the house until they reached the back door that led out into the yard. Once they were just outside of it, Karina stopped and for a moment looked straight into the surrounding wood, breathing heavily, and Ariel saw that her hands were shaking terribly.

 _What's going on? Why are there so many loud noises? Why is Mama acting like this?_ Thoughts like these were swirling around in Ariel's head as Karina bent down so they were at eye level, and she was shocked to see that Karina's was brimming with unshed tears.

"Ariel, sweetie, I want you to pay attention to me, all right?" Karina whispered hastily. "Do you remember your special hiding place you found in the woods? Do you remember where it is?"

Ariel nodded wordlessly.

"I want you to go there. Go to your special hiding place in the woods— _and I want you to stay there."_

"But—Mama—"

"Ariel listen, we don't have much time!" Karina said, taking Ariel's face in her hands. "This is very important. You have to go to your hiding place and stay there, okay?"

"Aren't you coming, Mama?"

"I…I can't come with you, darling," Karina whispered, her voice sounding utterly broken and a tear making its way out of her eye. "You have to go on by yourself."

"I don't want to go," Ariel said, tears of her own now falling freely down her face at the thought of being alone. "I don't want to go, Mama."

"You have to," Karina said, trying her best to sound firm. "There are bad people here, sweetie, and you have to hide from them."

Ariel continued to cry as Karina removed her silver ring from her finger, took Ariel's hand, and gently placed it in her palm.

"I want you to have this, Ariel," Karina muttered to her. "It will protect you, and guide you, whenever you feel lost or afraid. Whenever you need me, or whenever you think of me, all you have to do it hold it to your heart, and I will hear you."

Karina closed Ariel's hand around her precious ring before enveloping her in a tight hug, kissing the top of her head with quivering lips and peppering her cheeks with soft kisses.

"My Ariel," she said, smiling through her tears and staring tenderly into her face. "My beautiful, sweet girl. I need you to be strong, brave, kind and cheerful for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mama," Ariel cried, not knowing why her mother was saying all of this, and that alone made her feel even more afraid. Karina gave her daughter one last kiss before staring into her eyes, with such fierce and unyielding love.

"Now go. Run to your hiding place, and don't look back, no matter what you see or hear. I love you."

"I love you too, Mama."

Without another word, Karina stood to her feet and nudged Ariel towards the woods directly ahead of them, and Ariel , wanting to heed by her mother's words, darted towards the trees, with Luna tucked under her arm and the ring clutched tightly in her fist. Her eyes were a bit blurry from all her tears, but she didn't let that deter her as she went as fast as her little legs could carry her, fear pumping through her entire body. After about a minute she finally made it to the tree line, where she slowed down a bit, her breathing heavy. Another loud booming sound came from behind her, and despite herself, she glanced back over her shoulder, the sight causing her to stop in her tacks.

There, just coming over the distant hill to the west of their farm, was a huge group of soldiers dressed in white armor and white helmets, carrying something that appeared to be blasters. Stormtroopers. The blinding white light was coming from a cruiser ship that was sitting in a small clearing just behind the hill, probably the one that brought the Stormtroopers there in the first place. They were still some ways away, so Ariel couldn't see exactly how many there were, but she could see that they were heading in the direction of the farm. And leading the Stormtroopers in the front, striding tall, dark and frightening, was someone, or something that Ariel couldn't quite make out. A creature of some sort…a creature in black. At that moment Ariel had the strongest urge to go back to her home, but her mother's words stopped her. _Don't look back, no matter what._ With a quiet whimper and renewed tears, Ariel reluctantly turned away and continued on, running into the woods and letting its darkness shield her.

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The first thing that registered in Ariel's brain as she awoke was that the sun wasn't shining like it was supposed to. Her bleary, heavy eyes took a moment to adjust to her surroundings and once they did, she rubbed at them with her small fists and stared around. She was currently sitting inside the hollow opening of a gigantic, towering tree trunk, so big it could easily fit her and one other child comfortably. The little hovel was naturally made at the base of the trunk behind a cluster of bushes, so that the entrance was difficult to see, especially in the dark. Ariel had come here many a time when she would play in the woods with Mr. Kudo, deeming it as her secret hiding place. She came across it one time when she had wandered away from her mother for a moment to chase a Zudu cub, and claimed it as her special place for when she wants to think or be alone. It had taken her some time to find it last night, but when she did she hurriedly crawled inside and curled up into a frightened, quivering ball, with nothing but the thick limbs of the tree to protect her and Luna. Memories of the previous night filled her mind and Ariel sniffled, bringing her knees up to her chest and placing her head on them.

As she was hiding in her secret spot, once in a while there would be loud, booming sounds that reached her ears, along with the scary noises of gunfire that seemed to make the ground rumble beneath her. Due to all of this, Ariel spent over half of the night with her eyes wide open, tears streaming down them as she thought of her mother. Where was she? Was she okay? Would her mother come to get her once all the scary noises stopped? Ariel really hoped so, because being out in the woods all night in the dark was frightening, and she desperately wanted to go home. After a very long time, Ariel's exhaustion finally got the best of her, and the last thing she remembered was leaning her head against the inside wall of the tree trunk with Luna tucked safely in her arms.

Sniffling again, Ariel raised her head and looked back outside again through the space in between the branches of the bushes. It was definitely morning time, but the clouds outside were a dark, stormy and gloomy gray color, making it look like it was going to rain soon, with no sun in sight. There was a breeze drifting in the air, making the surrounding leaves tremble. Moving ever so slowly, Ariel crouched down and moved towards the entrance, sticking her head out a little. Looking around, Ariel bit her lip nervously. Was it safe to come out yet? Her mama told her to stay in the tree, but that was forever ago. What if her mama needed her? What if she was out there looking for Ariel right now? Just taking a step out wouldn't hurt, as long as she didn't leave the tree. Taking a breath, Ariel pushed away the branches and slowly crawled out of her hiding place, getting to her feet. The breeze was even colder out here, moving her hair out of her face gently and ruffling the skirts of her dress. Staring around, Ariel didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and everything was eerily silent. The loud sounds must have stopped while she had been asleep. Ariel did a full circle, looking at everything around her, but at one point something caught her eye that caused her to freeze in her movements. A great feeling of dread entered her body, and her eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight of a large black cloud rising from the trees in the distance, dancing wickedly before her eyes. Black clouds like that was made up of smoke, which is caused by fire. Which means that there must be a fire off in the west…in the direction of her home…

"Mama!" Ariel cried, instantly taking off back the way she had come last night, moving as fast as she could past all the surrounding trees. Her heart beat frantically inside of her chest as she ran, sharp vines and branches ripping at her dress, prickling her skin, and her mother's ring was still pressed tightly in her palm, more than likely leaving a mark of its own. The surrounding forest passed by her in a mindless whirl of green and brown, and Ariel's sole focus was getting back home. The path back to the farm seemed to take a lot longer than what it took for her to get away from it last night but Ariel never faltered, pushing her tired legs faster, wanting more than anything to be back by her mother's side. It took a little time, but soon enough Ariel saw the break in the trees ahead that would lead out into the field that lay between the forest and her home. With one last ounce of strength, the tiny girl hurried forward and darted out through the trees—only to stop short, nearly tumbling to the ground with a gasp, her eyes growing even wider at the terrible scene before her.

Off in the distance, engulfed in the smoldering black smoke of an almost dead flame was her home, scorched and crumbling from the heat and devastation of the fire that still flickered softly inside of it. After all this time, the fire had done its work on the majority of the house and even in the fields, where nothing but ash remained of their crops and produce. The smoke rose high into the sky, so big it could be seen for miles, and it created a smell that made Ariel feel sick to her stomach. Nonetheless, Ariel raced forward towards her home, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. After what felt like forever, she finally came within good distance of the farm, careful not to get too close. A great sadness filled her as she watched the place she had grown up become gray ash in the dirt, barely able to keep itself up anymore. Holding Luna closer to her, Ariel started to circle the ruins, looking all over for the one person she so desperately wanted to see.

"Mama?" she called out timidly. "Mama?"

She continued to circle the house until she came towards the front, and it was there that she stopped dead in her tracks, her entire body freezing up. She stared blankly ahead at a figure that was lying in the grass up ahead, some distance away from the fire. Moving ever so slowly, Ariel approached the figure with caution, her hands trembling slightly. As she came closer, she saw that the figure was a woman, lying still and unmoving on the ground, her ghostly pale face seeming at ease, her eyes closed and strands of her blonde hair falling into her face.

"Mama?" Ariel whispered as she fell to her knees beside Karina's still form. "Mama…are you okay? Mama?"

Karina made no response, made no indication that she heard Ariel in any way. Ariel's eyes scanned her mother's body and she saw that there was a wound on her stomach…a gaping, singed hole that had a dark red stain around it, painting Karina's fingers the same color. Ariel wasn't sure what this was, but it looked like her mother was hurt.

"Mama? Mama, come on, you have to wake up. We need to go."

Again, Karina didn't move, and Ariel instantly started to worry. What was wrong with her mother? Why wouldn't she wake up? Setting Luna down beside her, Ariel reached over and gently tried to shake her mother awake, but to no avail. She tried once again, this time a bit rough, but it still did no good. Karina remained limp and unmoving, and the dread Ariel felt earlier increased ten-fold, and she could feel the tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Mama! Mama, please, wake up! Please, wake up, Mama! Mama!"

Ariel's cries fell on deaf ears and she could feel the tears slide down her cheeks in sadness and confusion. Why wasn't her mother waking up?! She needed her, why wasn't she getting up?! Ariel tried patting Karina's face and she was surprised at how cold it was. Her mother was so very cold. Not knowing what else to do, Ariel leaned over and gently placed her head over Karina's chest, wishing to her the soft thumping rhythm of her heart that always calmed her. However, there was nothing, no sound whatsoever. This made Ariel's tears fall even faster and she fisted her small hand in Karina's dress, her sobs being the only sound around them. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to have her mother wrap her arms around her and tell her everything would be okay, that they were safe and would always have each other like she always does. But Ariel had a bad feeling that it couldn't happen…not this time. How long she stayed there crying over her mother, she didn't know, nor did she care, not even when a light mist of rain started to fall from the clouds above. Within minutes, the rain became heavier, and Ariel could feel herself becoming soaked. Eventually she started shivering but refused to leave Karina's side. After a while, she felt a hand suddenly place itself on her shoulder tenderly, and she flinched at the touch, whimpering.

"Ariel."

Ariel turned her face towards the familiar voice and she saw Mr. Kudo bent down beside her, his dark eyes shining in sadness and grief. He had a cut underneath his eye and his robes were torn up a bit, but he didn't seem to care as he was gazing at her softly.

"Th-they h-hurt her," Ariel said through chattering teeth. "Th-they hurt M-Mama."

"I was too late," Mr. Kudo whispered, staring down at Karina with regret on his face. "Oh Ariel, I…I'm so sorry."

"W-wake her u-u-up," Ariel pleaded. "P-please."

"I can't, young one," Mr. Kudo said, his voice rather tight. "She's gone."

"Gone?" Ariel repeated.

"Yes. She is one with the Force…she is with your father now."

At Mr. Kudo's words, fresh hot tears ran down Ariel's face and mingled with the rain. She held her mother even tighter, burying her face in her chest, her body shaking from the force of her sobs. No, her mother can't be gone, she can't! Those who become one with the Force can never come back, and that means Ariel would never see her again. But she has to! She needs her Mama! She needs her. Ariel continued to cry for a moment until she felt Mr. Kudo's hands start to lift her up and detach her from Karina.

"No!" Ariel exclaimed. "Don't take me from my Mama!"

"Ariel, we must go," Mr. Kudo said. "We must get away from here, before they return."

"Mama!" Ariel cried, weakly fighting of Mr. Kudo with what little strength she had left in her. "Mama…"

It took a minute, but Mr. Kudo was finally able to get Ariel to let go of Karina's dress, and he carefully lifted her into his arms, holding her against his chest. After bending down to pick up Luna, Mr. Kudo adjusted Ariel in his arms, wrapping his brown cloak around her to protect her from the rain, and then turned away, starting to make his way down the hill to the dirt road below. The young girl placed her arms limply around his neck as he carried her, and she stared at her mother's figure as they moved further and further away from her, the tears still stinging her green eyes, only yesterday filled with so much innocence and happiness, to be replaced by despair and a pain that no child should ever have to endure. In one single night, her world was completely ripped away from her, and she could do nothing but walk away from what she called home. She quietly called for her mother one last time as Mr. Kudo took her away from the farm, where Karina's body lied and the rain putting out the remaining fires that consumed her house.

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Ariel sat quietly on the metal crate, lost in her thoughts and sniffling as she waited for Mr. Kudo to come back for her. The Kodian himself was speaking with a man close by, who was loading supplies onto a very large ship with his workers, all of whom were moving hastily, as if an evil spirit was hot on their tails.

After hours of traveling on foot, Mr. Kudo and Ariel managed to make their way to the closest city to Ariel's village, Nova, where they had immediately set forth for the small space port that was located on the outskirts of it. There weren't too many ships at this port, but Ariel noticed that nearly all of them had the same mindset as this one—loading up their things and taking off as soon as possible. Ariel shifted underneath Mr. Kudo's cloak, which he had draped around her to keep her warm, and looked over to stare at Mr. Kudo and the man he was talking to with red, puffy eyes. They were within just enough distance for her to make out a little of what they were saying.

"…had your chance last night…couldn't afford two of you…"

"..willing to pay the cost…"

"…the Empire's closing in…matter of time before they reach us and the big cities…"

"…only myself and the child…have to escape…"

"…if I'm found hoarding stowaways…"

"…our only chance…please…"

There was silence for a moment as the man looked over Mr. Kudo's shoulders at gazed at Ariel , seeming so small and fragile sitting on the crate with her doll held against her chest. Something must have broken his resolve, because he then nodded at Mr. Kudo, saying that they would be preparing for takeoff in five minutes, and after Mr. Kudo handed something over to the man, he made his way back over to Ariel, relief shining in his eyes. Gathering Ariel once more in his arms, he carried her past the crew of workers and up the ramp leading into the ship. Once they were on, Mr. Kudo took Ariel down into the lower level, where all the cargo and supplies were being kept. Moving swiftly and silently, Mr. Kudo weaved his way between many crates and containers until he found a small space cramped in a shadowy corner, settling himself down and placing Ariel in his lap. All through this, Ariel remained silent, never saying a word, her eyes still burning from the endless tears she had shed earlier. Confusion, grief, pain, and even a tinge of anger kept shifting through her, and despite all these feelings inside of her, it left her numb and cold.

"I can feel your suffering, young one," Mr. Kudo murmured softly. "Do not let them fester inside, or they will control you."

At that moment, through all her sadness, Ariel could start to feel a strange warmth envelope her, chasing away some of her negative thoughts and feelings. Rather than question it, Ariel embraced it gratefully, resting her head against Mr. Kudo's chest. She was willing to take any sort of comfort than wallow in her pain.

"I know that you are upset, Ariel, and you have every right to be," Mr. Kudo said while rubbing her arm. "I know you miss your mother, but remember that she will never truly be gone. She lives in your heart, and her spirit flows within the Force, which flows through us all."

"She said she would always be with me," Ariel sniffed.

"And she will be," Mr. Kudo said. "You have my word Ariel, I will take care of you, and no one will ever hurt you as long as I live. We'll get through this together."

Ariel was quiet as she listened to his words, her eyes traveling down to the silver ring resting in her palm. She had never let go of it since her mother gave it to her that night, and she wasn't going to part with it anytime soon. Karina believed that the ring was special, and it was her most prized possession. Running her thumb over the stone, Ariel huddled deeper under the cloak.

"Where are we going, Mr. Kudo?" she asked.

"I have an old friend who may be able to help us," he replied. "He lives on a planet far away, hopefully this ship will be able to slip through customs easily, and we won't be discovered. Once we get to the system, we'll go forth from there."

"Which planet?" Ariel said, finally raising her eyes to meet his.

"Alderran, child," Mr. Kudo answered. "We are going to Alderran."

 **Well, what do you guys think? I know I might have pulled on the heartstrings a little bit here, but believe me, this chapter is very important for the future. As I said, any unfamiliar names or terms in this is mostly me coming up with my own ideas. The inspiration for Mr. Kudo came from Greedo in A New Hope with a few obvious changes, so you guys can have somewhat of an idea of what he looks like. Please, please review and tell me what you think of this first chapter. I'm sorry if this point of view isn't exactly how a six year old should think or feel, but it's my first time writing in the point of view of a character this young, so don't be too hard on me. And I realize this chapter is very similar to the opening of Rogue One but I already had this planned out before I ever saw the movie so I wasn't going to change it (again, disclaimer: Star Wars is not mine). I really hope you guys liked this, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	2. A Royal Encounter

**Hello there my dear readers, it's so wonderful to see you again!** **I'm glad that you all liked the first chapter enough to want to continue, it means a lot and makes me feel like I'm doing a decent job so far with this story. I had wanted to post it for so long but I just wasn't sure if it would be any good. But, now that I have a good number of chapters typed out and 85% of the overall story mapped out in my head, I figured I would give it a shot.**

 **Well, here is chapter two of A Journey Through the Stars, and I hope that you guys enjoy it. I worked hard on it, and again, remember that I'm not all-knowledgeable of everything in the Star Wars Universe, so please go easy on me and inform me of any mistakes so I can correct it. To those who have favorite/followed and left reviews for the first chapter, thank you so very much for your support as well as your opinions! Things will get even better from this point onwards.**

 **To the first reviewers of my story:**

 **CrystalEarth:** **Haha, I apologize for making you break your swear about never reading a Star Wars fanfiction, but I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. If you happen to be reading this chapter, again, I apologize but I hope you like this one as well!**

 **srosegarden:** **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. Yes, it does start off pretty sad, I was actually tearing up a bit as a I wrote it, but that's just because I'm an oversensitive baby haha. I do hope you continue to enjoy this story.**

 **CupcakeLoopy:** **I do appreciate you being okay with how this story will/possibly go, especially within the next few chapters. I'm happy you like it and are planning on reading more, I just hope it's as good as everyone is expecting it to be. Please feel free to review again if you'd like, I'm open to all comments and suggestions!**

 **PrincessNaina** **: Thank you, I hope you like what's in store for future chapters!**

 **Now, even though I have a lot of chapters all set and ready to go, I can't guarantee how fast they will be posted so I just ask that you all are patient with me. Even if it takes a while for me to post a chapter, I intend on seeing this through to the end. Please leave a review, tell me what you think, and if there are any questions you have please let me know. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All things Star Wars are not mine!**

Chapter Two: A Royal Encounter

ArielPOV

 _ **Five Years Later…**_

"Excuse me, sir…"

"Pardon me."

"No finer silk anywhere, milady…"

"What lovely berries!"

"Some Goota cheese, please.."

"No more than fifty credits!"

"You won't find these anywhere else in the galaxy, I assure you…"

The usual noises of the hustle and bustle of the market filled Ariel's ears as she made her way through the crowd, her small figure easily slipping in between the patrons and tourists who scanned over the many carts filled with treasures and produce, conversing with the vendors who operated them. She continued moving through the crowd carefully, making sure not to bump into anyone and draw attention to herself, keeping her face down and hidden behind her veil if messy blonde hair, falling past her shoulders and cascading down her back. Her outfit consisted of simple yet dirty gray trousers with a matching tunic that was a little too big for her, constantly trying to slip off of her shoulders. On her feet were worn out shoes that seemed a breath away from having the bottoms fall out, but Ariel paid no heed to this. She just kept on going, one hand clutching the strap of the side satchel she wore at her waist while her green eyes looked around at her surroundings.

Soon enough her wandering came at an end when she found herself in one of the main squares in this part of the city, and her eyes focused on the melon cart that stood on the opposite end, being handled by an Arcona with wide, crystal blue eyes, mahogany skin, and a strange organ right above his mouth that most people mistook for a nose. The Arcona was speaking with potential customers who were looking at his wide selection of fruits and melons that supposedly come from different corners of the galaxy. Thankfully, he was so focused on making a deal with his customers that he was turning a blind eye to the left end of the cart. Her eyes glinting, Ariel quickly moved over to a nearby wall that would keep her hidden from view and, after making sure nobody was looking, she opened the flap to her satchel and peered inside, smiling.

"Come on, Snow," she muttered. "It's time to get to work."

From the inside of her satchel, a small creature with big amber eyes popped its head out and took a look around, it's long ears twitching as they took in all the noise. Ariel reached inside and wrapped her hands around the creature, gently pulling it out and holding it close to her. This little beast was pure white with soft fur covering its entire body, with a slightly bushy tail swinging from side to side, it's raspberry nose sniffing curiously. Ariel smiled tenderly at her Loth-cat before patting her head and setting it down on the ground.

"You know what to do, girl," she said. Snow tilted her head before scurrying off through the crowded street and heading over towards the melon cart. With clever grace and stealth, the Loth-cat managed to sneak up on the cart undetected and use the nearby wooden crates to hop herself up on top of the tallest mound of melons. She began sniffing around innocently for a couple minutes before the Arcona vender finally took notice of her.

"Oh, no you don't, you vermin!" he yelled, grabbing a nearby broom and quickly running over to swat Snow with it. "Get away from my melons!"

The Arcona took a few swings at Snow, but he missed every time, and Snow taunted him by jumping here and there, growling softly at him. Ariel watched as Snow jumped down from the pile of melons and lingered by the edge of the cart, waiting. Just as she predicted, the Arcona took one last swing at snow, but she moved out of the way just in time as the broom hit the wheel of the cart with enough force to push it loose from its hinges. Within the next few seconds, the cart wobbled unsteadily before groaning loudly and tumbling down onto its side, his many assortments of melons and fruits rolling out onto the street. The Arcona cried out in protest as the melons got underneath people's feet and caused some of them to stumble and fall. Ariel, seeing her chance, darted out from her hiding place and merged herself in with the confused, bumbling crowd. Crouching down, Ariel opened up her satchel and then started stuffing as much fruit inside as she could, grabbing them with her hands and moving hastily. After about a minute, she looked up to see the Arcona's eyes swivel towards her, and she could have sworn they glinted in anger. With an outraged cry, the Arcona started making his way towards her and Ariel managed to grab one more melon before she dashed away, with Snow right at her heels.

"Come back here, thief!" the Arcona hollered after her, but Ariel kept on running, heading back the way she came at great speed, zipping past everyone who was in her way. She refused to stop or even slow down until she was far away from the market area, making her way towards the residential areas of the city closer to the outskirts. Once she was there, Ariel looked over her shoulder to see that no one was following her, and the chaotic scene was now far behind her. Feeling that she was in the clear, Ariel finally slowed down to a stop, panting heavily and clutching her satchel for dear life. She took a moment to catch her breath, with Snow still faithfully at her heels, gazing up at her and letting out something similar to a purr. Ariel smiled down at her precious companion and bent down, holding out her arm. Snow instantly jumped up onto her arm and then carefully climbed her way up to sit on Ariel's shoulder, with her bushy tail draped lazily over the other one.

"Good job, Snow," Ariel praised as she stood back up. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Snow reassured her that she was fine by bumping her head into Ariel's cheek, making the child giggle softly. When they were both settled, Ariel set off farther into the residential areas, moving even closer towards the outskirts of the city. The first group of homes were more like mansions and estates, all standing tall, grand and proud, made of the finest building material and surrounded by lush greens, blues, yellows and purples, filled with happy citizens going about with their daily routines. This was the type of neighborhood that housed senators, noblemen, and those of good wealth. As Ariel continued walking, the homes she passed grew less and less grand, turning into the more moderate homes of merchants and labor workers.

Here on Alderaan, the citizens of the capital city could never want for anything. Sure, times were tough for some people, but even though it was a struggle for some, Ariel knew that things could be much worse. Unlike some other planets in other systems, the rulers of Alderaan, Queen Breha and her husband, Bail Organa, cared deeply for their people, and did all they could to take care of them. Bail Organa himself had been seen passing through the common streets from time to time, interacting with the people, checking on progress in the few factories, and even holding charities for those in need. In a time where darkness was spreading its cloud from the Empire, Alderaan remained peaceful, serene, and safe, never feeling the need to arm themselves, and staying out of conflict. Ariel felt lucky in a way to be living on a planet such as this, knowing that there were far worse ones in the galaxy.

Eventually, Ariel reached the section of housing that was half-deserted, sitting on a cobbled street not very far away from the borders of the city, yet still far enough where the skyline of the royal palace in the distant hills were no bigger than her pinky finger. The homes here were less colorful, more along the lines of gray and white, and the vegetation was scarce, but the spirit was as bright and bountiful as it always was. As Ariel walked down the street, she came across people out and about, with a young couple striding quietly yet contentedly along, holding each other's hands, and children playing tag, their laughter echoing up to the sky. When Ariel passed a small group of these children, every single one of them cried out in delight upon seeing her, and she soon found herself surrounded by beaming faces.

"Ariel! You're back!"

"Did you go into the main square again? Was it pretty?"

"Did you see more aliens?"

"What were they selling at the market?"

"Did you see the Organas?"

"Calm down guys," Ariel laughed. "Yes, I went into the main square, and it was just as pretty as always. And I have something for you all."

Reaching into her bag, Ariel brought out the fruit she had taken, and the children's eyes widened at the sight.

"Wow Ariel, where did you get them?" a little girl by the name of Tara asked.

"From the market," Ariel replied simply, not going into any detail. "I have one for each of you."

The excitement seemed to double and the air was thick with the delighted eagerness of the tiny forms around her, and Ariel patiently handed out a piece of fruit to each child, loving how this simple food made their day all the better. After receiving their fruits, all the children hugged Aril at once, nearly squishing her to death, and thanking her before taking off once again to take their precious treasures home with them.

"Thank you, Ariel," said Darran, a young boy of seven who grinned toothily up at Ariel, his dark hair scruffy and his outfit a bit torn up. "You're the nicest person ever! I wish you were my sister."

"You already have one," Ariel pointed out.

"Yeah, but she's just a baby, she's no fun," Darran protested. "And Mommy pays more attention to her."

"Babies need a lot of attention," Ariel stated wisely. "Your Mommy takes care of you both, doesn't she? Besides, when your sister gets older you can play with her, and she's lucky to have the best big brother."

"You really think so?" Darran asked hopefully.

"Of course. Now go on, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Darran said, giving Ariel one last hug before darting off. "Bye Ariel!"

Ariel waved goodbye, smiling after Darran before continuing on her way, heading down to the very last house on the end of the street. It was more of a hovel than anything else, made of faded tan stone walls, with a few potted plants on the outside steps, a patched up roof that usually leaked, and naked windows, but to Ariel, this was her home, and it had been for the past five years. She walked up the few steps that led into the house and opened the door, heading inside and turning on the one light before closing it behind her. The golden glow from the small lamp fell across the room, which was big enough to fit maybe four people comfortably, acting as a living room as well as a bedroom, along with a cramped section off to the right that could be used as a kitchen with a few cabinets, and a tiny fireplace built into the right hand corner. There wasn't much furniture here, only a square kitchen table with a couple matching chairs, one loveseat with a coffee table that held the lamp as well as Ariel's few possessions, and a small bed set against the right hand wall, one that was made especially for her when she first came here.

A sad smile came across the girl's face as she remembered the time and love that went into making the bed, by someone who she held very dear to her heart. The last two pieces of fruit left in her satchel suddenly felt a lot heavier than before, and she hung her head a bit as she went to so sit down at the kitchen table. Once she had taken her seat, Snow jumped down from her shoulders and onto the table, making a circle before sitting down in front of her, staring up at her with her eyes. Ariel managed a small smile at her before she took the last two pieces of fruit, broke one of them in half through the soft surface with her hands, and handed one of them to the Loth-Cat.

"Eat up girl, I'll put the other one in the cabinet to save for tomorrow," Ariel said. Snow quickly started eating her own half of the fruit while Ariel began nibbling on hers, thinking of how they were able to attain it today. A feeling of guilt crept into her heart and she soon turned sad again. Almost subconsciously, she reached underneath her tunic and pulled out a leather cord that was draped around her neck with her mother's beautiful silver ring hanging from it, shining even in the faint light. She traced over the white stone in the middle, lost in thought with her sadness consuming her.

"I did it again, Mr. Kudo," she murmured quietly. "I stole food from the market. I know it's wrong, and I don't want to make you mad at me, I was just so hungry, and so were Darran and the others. I want to make you proud, but the Arcona was right. I'm nothing but a thief."

Ariel could feel her eyes start to water as she imagined the disappointed face of her old guardian as he frowned at her for her actions. Mr. Kudo had always taught her that it was wrong to steal or commit evil actions towards others, that one should always be peaceful and show the good that is within them. Ariel has always tried her very best to do good by him, it was the very least she could do after he saved her life all those years ago. After Mr. Kudo found Ariel crying by her mother's dead body, he sold what little possessions he had in order to get them safe passage from Lothal, which was in severe danger of being completely overrun by the Empire. That day, they had boarded a cargo ship and made their way to the safety of Alderaan, where Mr. Kudo had an old acquaintance that helped them settle in the capital city in order to start anew. Ariel remembered when she had first set eyes on the city, especially the royal palace, and she had been completely blown away by its wonders. All the sounds, the people, and the scenery fascinated her greatly, and in that moment, no matter how brief, she was able to forget about her sorrow. Being good with his hands, Mr. Kudo managed to acquire a modest carpenter's job, and they slowly adapted to their new life.

In the beginning, Ariel hadn't coped very well, missing her mother terribly, and always angry at not knowing why she was gone. Mr. Kudo tried to explain it in the best way he could, saying that the Empire was taking over Lothal, and the Stormtroopers she had seen that night were more than likely part of the first invasion group. Ariel's anger only grew at this, coming to the conclusion that the Empire was the reason her mother was hurt and why she wasn't with her anymore. For a little while her anger consumed her, and she even started having thoughts that were much too dark for a child her age, wanting someone to hurt as much as she was. However, Mr. Kudo quickly put a stop to that. One night he took Ariel out past the city borders into the green forest that lay beyond, had her sit down with him by a small pond, close her eyes, and do something that he called meditation. It was when you sat still, emptying your thoughts, calming your soul, and releasing all your negative feelings into the Force and out of your body. Ariel wasn't sure what he meant at the time, and he never really elaborated on it, but Ariel took that time to remember her mother's beautiful smile and the smell of her hair, rather than her pale face and red-stained dress. The more she thought about the happy time's the more her anger went away, and it was then that she broke down, with tears falling down her face, and she remembered Mr. Kudo scooping her up into his arms and holding her close.

The two of them quickly settled into a routine after that, with Mr. Kudo going to work, and during his free time, he would tutor her at home or educate her further in the ways of the Force, which usually consisted of a lot of meditation time and practicing the technique of strengthening your mind. Mr. Kudo, being Force-sensitive, could usually sense Ariel's thoughts and feelings. Therefore, he wanted to teach her how to strengthen her mind and help her develop certain barriers that could prevent anyone else from doing it, saying he never wanted her to be manipulated due to having a 'weak mind.' He also taught her a few basic combat skills, showing her how to use her hands and feet if she were ever in trouble and without some sort of weapon.

They were never rich nor had the life of luxury, but Ariel always felt very well cared for, safe, and loved by the Kodian who vowed to protect her with everything he had. He feed her, clothed her, educated her, and gave her everything she could ever want or needed…even until his last breath.

Mr. Kudo was already old to begin with, but as the time went by, the lines in his scaled face were growing deeper, and the few thin hairs on his head growing whiter, with an ache in his step, and a certain tiredness in his dark eyes. He always said that the Force gives as well as it takes, and Ariel learned that lesson far too early in her life when the Force not only seemed to take her mother, but her dearest friend as well. Only six months ago, Mr. Kudo had taken on a terrible illness which had only gotten worse as the days went on, no matter what the local doctors or healers tried. Ariel could remember that day so well, sitting at Mr. Kudo's death bed, surrounded by friends they had made over the years and the healers who did their best to prolong his life.

"Do not weep for me, my dear Ariel," Mr. Kudo had rasped out upon seeing her tears. "I will never truly be gone. I will always be with you, watching over you and guiding you when you need me the most. My time has now come, and I will never regret having you in my life towards the end of it. My dear girl, my duty in life prohibited me from forming attachments, but I'm so very happy and glad that you changed that. I love you so very much Ariel. And I want you to promise me something."

"What is it Mr. Kudo?" Ariel quietly cried.

"I want you to be strong, compassionate, and live your life the way you should. Do not let yourself drown in despair, anger and hate, for it will be your undoing. Remember that the Force is always with you, and I know you will grow to be more beautiful and brave than ever before. I'm so proud, Ariel, so very proud."

With that being said, Mr. Kudo gently patted her head like he always did before closing his eyes and softly letting out his last breath. Ariel responded by carefully laying her head down on his chest and silently cried, holding his hand while everyone else bowed their heads in respect. The funeral had been a short one, with few close friends and neighbors wishing to pay their respects, and Mr. Kudo had been buried underneath a huge tree that was close to the pond where he and Ariel would often meditate together, wearing his usual tan colored robes, brown cloak, and holding his special silver cylinder tool that he was always so fond of against his chest beneath his folded hands. Ever since then, Ariel had been on her own, refusing to leave the house they had called their home, and doing her best to make use out of the days that followed. The sadness still lingered in her heart, but she always did what she could to keep her promise to Mr. Kudo and not let it take her over. Although, sometimes she felt as if she were betraying his teachings whenever she had to steal food in order to survive, whether it was for herself or for others. With no money, no guardian, and not much of a future ahead of her, Ariel resorted to less valued morals in order to make it through.

Shaking her head, Ariel wiped at her stinging eyes, trying to shake herself free of these feelings. It was never good to dwell on the past…she needed to focus on the here and now. Somehow she will repay what she had taken, even though she had no idea how. Sighing to herself, Ariel finished her fruit before wiping her mouth and going over to the window that gave a magnificent view of the sky, standing on her tip toes in order to see properly. When she had run from the market, it had only been a few hours after midday, and now it was slowly descending into evening. The sun overhead was sinking down behind the clouds, turning them vivid pink, gold and orange colors that mixed together so beautifully. There was still plenty of sunlight left, but not for very long, and Ariel knew that soon the city would be laying down their heads for the night. She turned her gaze towards the east, where she could still see the skyline of the royal palace, standing so tall and proud in the distance. She smiled softly to herself, wondering what the royal family must be doing now. It is said that the Organas had a young daughter, the princess of Alderaan, although Ariel had never seen her. She briefly wondered what she was like, and what it must be like to be a princess. Sighing again, Ariel left the window after a few more minutes and made her way over to her bed, deciding to call it an early night.

"Come on, Snow," she called to her friend. "It's time for bed."

The Loth-Cat jumped down from the table and trotted her way over to Ariel, leaping up onto the mattress of the bed and instantly meowing at her. Ariel giggled at Snow before she pulled back the covers and got underneath them, lying down on her side with Snow curling herself against her chest. Ariel reached over and snuggled her face into Snow's fur, silently releasing her sorrow and shame into the Force like how Mr. Kudo would do. She rummaged underneath her covers for a moment until she brought out her faithful and treasured doll, Luna, who she had kept even after all this time. There were still very few things that gave Ariel comfort in the night, and Snow and Luna were a couple of them. Holding them both in her arms, Ariel's eyes slowly fluttered closed.

"Goodnight, Mr. Kudo," she whispered, not for the first time hoping he could hear her somehow. "Goodnight, Mama."

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A few days later, Ariel found herself walking through another of the city's main squares, although she made sure to keep clear of the market areas, so as not to be recognized by anyone for her little stunt with the melon and fruit cart. The streets were as lively as they ever were, and Ariel took the time to stare at the people she passed, both human and non-human alike. So many different species interacting and trading with one another was always a sight to see, and that was why the market was one of her favorite places to go to. She enjoyed watching everyone she passed, listening to their strange unique language, and sometimes she made up her own stories about them. Where they came from, what they did for a living, and made them go on crazy adventures from time to time.

It was a lovely bright and clear day, with a warm breeze drifting her way, carrying the floral scents that always seemed to coat the city, and her cheeks felt warm from the light of the sun shining overhead. As she walked down the street, Ariel hummed to herself, a light skip in her step, while Snow walked a little ways in front of her, dodging all the legs that came her way. Her fluffy tail swung back and forth as she moved, and Ariel couldn't help but smile at her. The young girl had tied her hair in a long plait down her back, wearing her usual tunic and trousers, with her satchel swinging at her hip. The duo kept on walking for a few more minutes before Snow suddenly stopped moving, pausing in her steps and her tail stopped swinging. The Loth-Cat lifted her head and sniffed at the air, her ears pointing straight up.

"Snow? What's wrong?" Ariel asked. Snow was still for about another minute before she suddenly turned left and then took off, darting between people's feet and racing through the crowd.

"Snow! Snow, wait!" Ariel called out, hurriedly taking off after her freind, wondering what had gotten into her. Ariel chased Snow down a few streets, trying to keep sight of her white tail through the vast crowds, doing her best to avoid running into someone, and always quickly apologizing when she did. What was going on with Snow? She never just up and ran off like that before! Something must have caught her attention, but Ariel really had no idea what it was. Either way, she was determined not to lose Snow in the crowd, fearing that she wouldn't be able to find her. Keeping close, Ariel continued following Snow for just a little longer until the Loth-Cat turned around a bend and fled down a long alleyway. When Ariel went in after her, she soon stumbled to a halt when she saw what was going on at the dead end.

Standing at the end of the alleyway were two beings: a thick, furry, tight-skinned, bulge-eyed, orange colored Elom, and a tall, gray-skinned Khommite wearing a dark red tunic with black trousers and a matching cape, with small yet sharp yellow eyes and pointed ears. The Khommite was currently restraining a young girl who looked to be about Ariel's age, struggling against him while the Elom came towards them with a burlap sack in his hands.

"Let me go!" the girl yelled loudly, fighting against her captor with all her might, her eyes fierce.

"Now, now, dear, settle down, or we'll be forced to hurt you," the Khommite said with a smirk as he lifted the girl up off of the ground.

"How much do you think she's worth, boss?" the Elom asked gleefully.

"Considering who she is, I'm sure that we'll be seeing quite a bit of credits for her ransom," the Khommite replied, a sinister look on his face as he laughed at the struggling girl. Ariel couldn't believe what she was hearing…those two were trying to kidnap that girl for ransom! She needed help! Ariel glanced over at Snow, who was standing only a few feet away, her fur standing on end and growling low in her throat, moving into an offensive position. Desperate, Ariel looked at what was around her and saw some nearby rocks on the ground. Moving fast, she scooped them up into her arms, and without a second thought, started throwing them at the Elom while jogging forward.

"Leave her alone!" she exclaimed, throwing a rock that landed directly at the back of the Elom's head with a sharp _clunk!_ The Elom cried out in surprise at the sudden pain in his head and then swiftly turned around to see Ariel coming towards him, continuing to throw the rocks.

"Ouch! What the—who is she?"

"Never mind that, just get rid of her!" the Khommite snapped impatiently. The Elom dropped the sack at his feet and then started heading towards Ariel, who unfortunately ran out of rocks to throw. The Elom was getting dangerously close, and he stretched out his arms, intending on grabbing her as well, but Ariel, thinking fast, dove down and slide between the Elom's legs as he lunged forward, hitting the back of his right knee with her fist, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Snow!" she called.

On command, Snow rushed forward with a loud shriek and pounced on the Elom's face, biting and scratching with her long claws. The Elom hollered in pain as he tried to get the Loth-Cat off of him. While that was going on, Ariel quickly got to her feet and turned towards the Khommite, who still had the girl in his arms. His eyes were narrowed into slits, the yellow flames dancing within them in his anger, and he snarled loudly, revealing sharp, pointed teeth that looked as though they could tear through just about anything. The veins in his neck were bulging, and Ariel took a step back in fear. While the Elom seemed a bit daft, she knew that this Khommite was not one to be taken lightly. He looked downright menacing and threatening, glaring at her as though he wanted nothing more than to rip her to shreds. His face twisted in rage, he shoved the girl he was holding to the ground rather roughly, with enough force to knock her into a couple nearby wooden crates that were stacked in a pile.

"You filthy brat!" he seethed, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a steel staff that was as long as his arm and had an electric sphere at the top that was glowing a lime green light. "You're going to pay for getting in my way."

Ariel could feel her fear quickly building as the Khommite advanced on her, raising the staff. She took another couple of steps back, once again looking around to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon to fight with. There wasn't much, only some more rocks and a long piece of wood leaning up against the wall. Figuring it was better than nothing, Ariel grabbed the piece of wood and held it out in front of her, keeping her right foot forward and her shoulders square. With an angry grunt, the Khommite lashed out with his staff and Ariel moved quickly to dodge it, knocking it out of the way and shifting to the left, trying to stay clear of the sparkling end of the staff. She and the Khommite circled each other for a moment before he lashed out again, and Ariel raised her piece of wood above her head, managing to block the attack before the staff struck her head. However, in doing so, she left her entire middle section open and the next thing she knew, Ariel received a sharp kick to the stomach and she yelped in pain as she fell backwards onto the cobbled ground, feeling her knee scrape against the stones as she landed on her side.

"Stop it!"

Ariel looked up to see the other girl jump at the Khommite, yanking on his arm and kicking his legs.

"Get back you stupid girl!" he said as he easily shoved the girl off of him, pushing her into the wall where she collided into the wooden crates and they ended up falling on top of her. Narrowing her eyes, Ariel took the Khommite's distraction to her advantage. She tightened her grip on the piece of wood in her hands and then let out a cry as she brought it straight up to where the sun don't shine as hard as she could. The Khommite let out a startled shout before it turned into a weak whimper as he instantly dropped his staff to the ground and lowered his hands to his private area, falling down onto his knees. Seeing her chance, Ariel swung her wood back before striking it against the side of his face, promptly knocking him out cold face down. For a moment Ariel was completely stunned at what she had done, just staring at the limp form on the ground with wide, terrified eyes. After she few more seconds, though, she finally managed to pull herself together long enough to stand to her feet shakily and drop the piece of wood. She went over to the girl, who was still on the ground, staring at Ariel with her own wide eyes.

"Come on," Ariel urged, holding out her hand to her. "He might wake up soon."

The girl kept gazing at Ariel for a minute before she mutely nodded her head and took her hand, letting Ariel pull her to her feet. The two girls hastily ran down the alleyway and right past where Snow was still making a mess out of the Elom's face.

"Let's go, Snow!" Ariel called over her shoulder, not needing to look back to see if the cat was following her. Still keeping a hold of the girl's hand, Ariel led them back through the crowd as fast as her feet would go. They pushed past many people and turned many different corners in their haste, wanting to put as much distance between them and those evil beings as fast as possible. They ran for some time before they finally slowed down to a halt in one of the smaller courtyards next to a fountain, the both of them panting heavily, and it was only then that Ariel released the girl's hand, staring around to make sure they weren't followed.

"Do you think we lost them?" Ariel asked breathlessly.

"I think so," the girl replied, taking a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ariel said, nodding her head. "Are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine," the girl said. "Thank you so much…you saved me."

"You're welcome. Why did they want to kidnap you?" Ariel said. "What did they want with you?"

"More than likely they wanted to hold me hostage and demand a ransom from my father," the girl muttered quietly. "I came to the market with him today, and we got separated. I ran into those two goons while I was trying to find him. But then you came along and stopped them! How did you learn to fight like that?"

"I really didn't do much," Ariel protested, her cheeks going red as the girl's dark brown eyes shone with praise and awe at what she had witnessed. "The Elom didn't seem too bright."

"But you went up against the Khommite and defeated him."

"Only because you distracted him long enough for me to hit him," Ariel pointed out.

"Which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't forced him to let me go," the girl said. At this point the two of them were smiling brilliantly at each other, observing how well they managed to work together to get away from the vile clutches of those beings. While they were standing there, Ariel took in the girl's appearance for the first time since seeing her in the alley. The girl was around her age, maybe a year or two older, although they were the same height. She had rich dark brown hair that had two thin braids going along the sides of her head like a crown, forming into one single braid down her back while the rest of her loose curls flowed freely underneath. A beautiful dress adorned her body, one which had to cost quite a bit of money judging by the smooth-looking silk material, and it was something Ariel had only ever seen those of great wealth wear. It was a soft lavender color with silver threading with a matching cape that was slightly ripped from their scuffle in the alley. Compared to her, Ariel felt like a small, filthy street rat, and she briefly wondered why a girl of such obvious status was doing out in the more common parts of the city. There was a mewling noise from below and Ariel looked down to see Snow standing next to her, rubbing her head against her leg in affection. Feeling great pride for her companion, Ariel bent down and scooped up Snow into her arms.

"Good girl," she said while petting her head.

"She's so cute," the girl said. "I've never seen a creature like this before."

"Her name's Snow, she's a Loth-Cat," Ariel explained. "She's the one who led me to you."

"May I pet her?" the girl asked. Ariel nodded and then the girl gently stroked her hand over Snow's head and down her back a few times. Snow didn't seem to mind, in fact she looked as though she rather enjoyed it, and letting out a soft purr at the attention she was receiving. Ariel smiled before speaking to the girl once again.

"Do you need help finding your father? I know the city very well, I can help you look for him," she offered.

"Really? You would really help me?" the girl said.

"Of course," Ariel answered. "We can start at the place you last saw him, I'm sure he must be looking around the same area. I'm Ariel by the way, what's your name?"

"Oh I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name is—"

" _Leia!"_

A loud, booming voice rose across the other voices of the crowd, effectively silencing almost everyone in the courtyard. Both girls turned their heads to see a commotion heading towards their direction—a group of men dressed in baby blue military uniforms with matching capes were making their way through the crowd, parting it in their wake, each of them raging from young to elderly men and carrying blasters at their hips. At the center of this group was another man, but he was dressed differently from the others. He wore dark blue noblemen's clothing with a silver pin on his chest, with black boots that clanked against the street as he moved, his wide brown eyes focusing on them worriedly, and his dark hair looking windswept. He didn't look old, maybe in his late thirties, early forties at the very least, although there were the beginnings of gray alongside his temples. When Ariel caught sight of him, her stomach dropped and her own eyes widened in complete utter shock. She knew who this man was. She had seen holo-pictures of him, along with posters strewn across the city, and even one time at a distance when she had seen him walking through the parts of the city closer to his home…to the royal palace. This man was Senator Bail Organa, husband to Queen Breha. And if he just called this girl Leia, then—then that means—

"Father!" Leia cried out, rushing forward past the people who quickly got out of the way and heading straight into her father's waiting arms. He caught her with ease, holding her in a vice-like grip against his chest as the group of men, who Ariel figured must be their personal bodyguards, formed a half circle around them, keeping an eye on everyone around them with a hand resting on their blasters and weapons, keeping a lookout for any signs of trouble. The crowd looked on in wonder as Organa embraced his child tightly, his hand holding the back of her head and his lips at her temple. They were now a good distance away from her now, so Ariel couldn't hear what was being said as Organa eventually pulled back from his daughter a little and spoke in a low voice to her, his eyes expressing relief at having found her safe and sound, but his expression was stern and firm, and Ariel knew that Leia was probably on the end of a good scolding. Leia shook her head, holding her father's hands in her own and her own expression one of wonder as she took a moment to glance back over at Ariel, pointing her out. Ariel froze where she stood as the Alderaan Senator turned his gaze towards her, his dark eyes staring directly into her own as if they could see right through her. He looked puzzled for a moment, but after Leia spoke to him once more, his face softened a bit and he seemed surprised. Organa called one of his men over to him, an older gentleman with a salt and pepper beard and mustache, and a head full of gray hair, with dark eyes that were a little frightening, for they seemed to hold little emotion, if any at all. His mouth was set into a tight frown, with lines etched deep into his face, along with a long scar that stretched across his right cheek, another one on his neck in the shape of a burn. He was gigantic, easily towering over Organa, but his posture showed nothing but respect and protectiveness as he stood next to the Senator. Organa gestured over towards Ariel, looking resolute, and in the next moment the guard started making his way towards her, his frown somehow deepening and his movements scary as he strode in her direction, his hand still on his blaster.

"Hey you, girl!" he said, his voice deep and gravelly, making Ariel flinch in fright. "Come here."

Every ounce of Ariel was filled with dread, and she fearfully shook her head as she moved backwards, a whimper escaping her lips. This man was more terrifying to her than the Khommite was. And what was going on? Was she in trouble for something? But—but she didn't do anything! Her fear clouding her thoughts, Ariel turned around and dashed away before anyone could stop her, never looking back even as she heard the guard yelling for her to come back. She pushed her way past everyone as she ran, her heart pounding frantically in her chest and holding Snow tightly against her. She needed to get away from here, before she got into some serious trouble. As she sprinted away, she wished more than anything that Mr. Kudo was with her, holding her in his arms and telling her that everything would be okay. Not wanting to be followed, Ariel ran and ran, her eyes burning as she remembered that Mr. Kudo couldn't help her anymore. She was alone…completely alone.

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The next day in the late afternoon, Ariel was carrying a pail of fresh water home from the closest fountain that wasn't being used by the neighbors for doing laundry. That was well over twelve streets away, and Ariel was feeling the ache in her muscles by the time she was three blocks away from home. She wiped away the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, sighing and groaning to herself as she hoisted the pail a little higher so she wasn't dragging in on the ground. It would have been a lot better if she had done this earlier in the day, but she had overslept, due to her having trouble falling asleep the previous night.

After she had run away from the royal guards, Ariel never stopped running until she made it all the way home, where she promptly rushed inside, closed the door and sagged against it, her whole body trembling and her lips quivering. Her ears were filled with the sound of her rapid heartbeat and her nerves were still eating away at her as she tried to make sense of what happened. Why would the guard come after her? The one who tried calling her was so scary, and why did he walk towards her anyway? Was she in trouble for being with Leia? What if Leia's father thought that she was part of the group that tried to kidnap her? What if they wanted to arrest her and put her in jail? The thought made Ariel want to cry, and at that time she placed her head in her hands, wishing she could just disappear and never be found. The whole ordeal had her tossing and turning when she tried to get some sleep, mulling it all over. How could she not have realized the girl she had saved was Leia Organa? The princess of Alderaan?! She must have seemed so indecent and so improper to her, it made Ariel want to hang her head in shame. Of all the rotten luck…

Ariel sighed again as she kept on walking, relief spreading through her as she caught sight of her home at the end of the street. When she approached, she readjusted her pail of water so she could open the door, and once she stepped inside, she let out a grunt as she finally dropped the pail at her side, wiping at her sweaty forehead. It was way past midday now, and she still had to rummage around the cabinets to see what she could make herself and Snow for supper that night. Although, before she could ponder over it, she suddenly noticed that the lamp on the coffee table was lit, leaving her very confused. How was the lamp on? She could have sworn she turned it off when she left the house earlier. A strong sense of unease entered her system, and she slowly moved her body in the direction of the kitchen, where an unexpected sight met her eyes.

Standing at the kitchen table, gently petting Snow's head and wearing noble senator's clothing, was none other than Bail Organa. Ariel was frozen stiff, her insides going numb at the sight of him. Bail Organa was in her house—how did he get in?! Even more so, how did her find her?! This can't be happening! Unexpectedly, Organa gave Ariel a kind smile upon seeing her and took a few steps forwards, clasping his hands behind his back. Ariel instinctively took a few steps back, having every intention of bolting out the door, but before she could, her back hit something very solid, ceasing her movements. She jumped in surprised and whipped around to see the guard from yesterday standing behind her, blocking her way to the door and glaring down at her with his dark eyes. Ariel gulped, knowing she had no way out of there now, and she turned back to Organa, who spoke to her softly and in a friendly manner.

"Hello, Ariel," he greeted warmly. "My name is Bail. I was hoping that we could talk."

 **Please review! See you all in the next chapter three!**


	3. Finding Ariel

**Hi everyone! Well here it is, chapter three, and I really do hope you guys enjoy it. I won't say too much here, only because it's late and I'm getting really tired, so if there's any questions or comments please let me know, and don't forget to review! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All things Star Wars are not mine! It belongs to the brilliant George Lucas and Disney.**

Chapter Three: Finding Ariel

BailPOV

Bail Organa was many things, and he had been called many things throughout the course of his life—senator, traitor, weak, strong, soft, firm, selfless, warrior, diplomat, and reasonable. However, there were certain things that he himself took great pride in, things he felt defined him more as a person as well as a man: Leader, fighter, husband, and, the most important thing of all, _father._ Yes, out of everything that Bail considered himself to be, nothing was more important or life-changing as being a father to a child. A beautiful, precious child that did he would dedicate his very life to love, guide, cherish, and protect with everything he had. His daughter, his beautiful Leia, was his ultimate treasure, far greater than anything else the galaxy had to offer him. Her smile alone could brighten up his day, and her fierce sense of justice and independence was enough to fill him with immense pride.

Yes, being a father was one of the greatest joys in life, but it also had its moments were things turned bumpy, or took a rather unexpected loop, plaguing Bail's hearts with worry and fear. For instance, when Leia had begged to go with him when he planned to venture out into the city, he immediately hesitated at the idea, a repressed fear slowly making its way back to the surface of his mind. Leia had been raised in the castle her entire life, she rarely ever went outside the palace walls, the farthest she had ever gone being in the royal gardens with Breha, or their guards. Bail knew that Leia had always admired the work he did, especially when it came to providing for their own citizens. Even though it has been years since the dreaded Clone Wars ended, there were still many people who have been greatly affected by it, and some of those people traveled to peaceful planets like Alderran for sanctuary and a new start. There were still those within their own borders that suffered, and Bail, along with being a famously known and popular diplomat in the Imperial Senate, was also a very caring leader of his people. He knew that Leia wanted so desperately to follow in his work and eventually enter the Senate herself, but he also knew of her desire to be out among their people as well, and journey beyond the walls of their glistening palace.

Yet there were so many dark forced out there that were not to be reckoned with. Alderran may be peaceful overall, but there were still beings out there who lived with malice in their hearts, and evil intentions clouding their minds. A part of Bail wanted to keep Leia locked up within the palace for the rest of her days, while the other part knew he just couldn't bear to do that to his only daughter. She had a fire in her that could outshine the brightest star, a stubbornness that could rival his own, and a strength that could match those of ten strong-willed men. He knew that she had to venture out sometime, and that he couldn't protect her from the darker parts of the galaxy, more specifically, the Galactic Empire. No, he had to start giving her more room to breathe, as much as it displeased him or even Breha. Leia did not deserve to view the world from a cage, no matter how beautiful it was. Therefore, he decided to take baby steps, allowing Leia to accompany him when he went out into the city to interact with the people, showing Leia exactly how the markets worked, and the importance of the very few factories they had with the planet's trade federation. The twelve-year-old girl was positively thrilled at the idea, and she could hardly wait when the day finally came.

Everything had been going so smoothly at first, and Bail was proud of his decision. He showed Leia a view of their city she had never before experienced, with their most trusted and loyal guards keeping watch close by every step of the way, never letting anyone get too close to the royals unless they deemed it all right. He couldn't help the happiness that swelled inside him as he saw his daughter take in all the magnificent sights and even speak to some of the people, curtsying in a lady-like fashion like she had been taught by her aunts, and also giving out firm handshakes while asking questions about the business owner's welfare and supply run. Bail couldn't have been more proud of her. However, the happy outing didn't last for long, for at one point, Bail had went to greet an old comrade who worked in mechanics in one of the main squares with his guards forming a half-circle around him with their backs facing him, staring out into the crowd. After they had explained pleasantries, he turned back to see that in the few minutes they had been talking, Leia was gone.

The second he saw that she was no longer there, the fear that had begun to dissipate in his stomach rose once again to new heights, and he could feel his insides turn to ice. He had called out for her, but received no answer, causing him to panic. Horrible thoughts raced through his mind—did she run off? Was she lost? Did she wander over to a nearby vender? Or even worse…did someone take her? Being a powerful senator, Bail had plenty of enemies as well as allies, and the thought of someone taking Leia was too much for him to bear. For one terrifying moment his thoughts wandered to the most dreadful and impossible situation…one where _he_ was involved. If he knew…if he found out and came for her…

"Spread out and comb the market!" he had ordered his guards frantically. "I want my daughter found!"

The next twenty minutes or so were some of the worst in Bail's life. He and his guards searched relentlessly in the surrounding areas, with no luck in finding the princess. His mind was spinning as they looked, already going into overdrive as he thought about shutting down all spaceports and aircrafts from here to the next city, refusing leave for anyone who was looking to get away in a hurry. After what felt like eternity, Bail finally came upon a sight that nearly brought tears to his aging eyes—Leia, safe and sound, speaking with another girl who looked to be around her age, standing in one of the courtyards. The relief and joy he felt swelling in his chest was indescribable, and he wasted no time in rushing forward, calling out her name and gathering her into his arms so tightly, he truly considered never letting go of her again.

"Leia," he had breathed out, his voice slightly shaky from his nerves. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine Father," Leia had replied reassuringly as they pulled apart. Bail took a moment to look her over. Her cape was a little torn, and she had some dirt on her cheek, but other than that, she was perfectly fine.

"Leia, what happened? Where were you?" Bail said, instantly taking on a more firm and scolding tone. "I told you to stay by my side! You cannot go wandering off on your own!"

"I know, I'm so sorry Father," Leia said, truly looking ashamed of herself. "I got distracted by the pretty clothes one of the venders were selling, and then two people tried to grab me."

"What?" Bail gasped, his eyes widening as the confirmation of his worries were revealed. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, they didn't because that girl over there saved me," Leia said, turning her head to look at the girl she had been talking to. "She came as they were trying to kidnap me, and she fought them off!"

Bail followed Leia's gaze until it landed on the girl she was speaking over. A slight look of puzzlement crossed his face as he stared at her small frame and tiny posture. She seemed to be only slightly younger than Leia, wearing torn up and filthy gray trousers and tunic, holding a strange white creature in her arms, her blonde hair tied back into a tangled braid down her back. She had soft green eyes that were looking back at him in slight apprehension, and Bail couldn't help but wonder how this small child was able to fight off two beings who tried to kidnap Leia. He mentally shook his head, knowing that wasn't what was important right now. Leia was safely back in his arms where she belonged, and according to her, this girl made that possible. Wanting to thank her, Bail called over his captain of the guard, Torten.

"Torten, please bring me that child," he asked, gesturing over to the girl. "I would like to speak to her."

Bail realized too late that Torten probably wasn't the best choice in asking to see the girl. Torten, while being loyal to a fault, was no doubt hardened and strict in both personality and appearance. He was quite a few years older than Bail himself, with almost a full head of gray hair, sharp dark eyes, a towering stature, and a seemingly permanent frown etched upon his face, making him appear sour and hardened. His very presence was intimidating, but Bail would trust no one else so deeply with the safety of himself and his family. To the little girl though, Torten must have been more than a little scary, for when he started walking towards her and told her to come over, she quickly backed away and then ran off into the crowd, disappearing from sight within seconds.

"No, wait!" Leia yelled after her before glaring at the captain. "Torten, you scared her!"

"Leia," Bail reprimanded as he stood to his feet. "You know better than to speak to Torten in such a way."

"But Father, she was by herself," Leia said, staring up at him with a desperate look in her eyes. "What if she runs into those kidnappers again? What if they hurt her? Please Father, she saved me, we have to find her!"

Bail was silent for a moment as he stared off into the crowd where the little girl vanished, deep in thought. Leia said the girl had been alone, but why would anyone let a child wander around the city by themselves? Surely her parents wouldn't have allowed it? Nonetheless, this girl saved his daughter, and he wanted to show his appreciation to her and her family, whoever they may be.

"Who is this girl, Leia?" he asked.

"Her name is Ariel , and she has a Loth-Cat named Snow," Leia replied. "Will we find her, Father?"

"I promise I will do everything I can to try and find her," Bail said. "But before anything else I'm taking you back home."

"But Father—"

"Where you will remain until I deem it safe. Understood?" Bail continued, giving her a certain look. Leia, recognizing defeat, begrudgingly agreed.

All of these events led Bail to where he was now, riding down the road in a small speeder in the middle of a part of the city that was closer to the borderlines, where those of the lower class worked and lived in more simple barracks and homes. Remembering the clothes Ariel had worn the previous day, he knew that it wasn't likely she lived towards the center of the city or even close to the palace. Therefore, he had set out with only Torten at his side to journey through this part of the neighborhood, hoping that he would hit some stroke of luck on where to find the girl. The people he passed would stop and whisper, some even smiling and bowing their heads in respect.

"How exactly do you intend to find this child, sir?" Torten asked gruffly as he kept a trained eye on everything and everyone. "All you have to go on is a name and the fact that she has a pet."

"Something is better than nothing, my friend," Bail answered, also keeping an eye out, although he was searching for someone much smaller. "I promised Leia I would do all I could to find her. She wouldn't stop talking about her all of last night, about how she stood up to those criminals. You have to admit, it's impressive."

"Falling to the ground and getting in a lucky shot with wood is hardly impressive, sir," Torten said.

"Luck or no, it saved Leia's life," Bail said. "If I lost her, I don't think I could've…"

"The princess is safe and sound with the Queen, sir," Torten reminded, turning his sharp eyes to the senator. "Remember that. But what will happen if we can't find her?"

"We will," Bail said, confidently. "We just have to have hope."

Torten feel silent after that as they continued on with their search. Eventually they stopped the speeder in a courtyard and decided to continue on foot. Once in a while they would stop to ask someone whether they knew a little girl named Ariel , or knew anyone who had a child with that name. So far there was no luck, and although Bail hated to admit it, he was beginning to feel disheartened. The two men spent quite some time wandering around, knocking on doors that seemed to lead nowhere, and as they came closer to the city borders, Bail was wondering if he would ever find Ariel .

"Maybe we should stop for today, sir," Torten suggested after yet another failed attempt. "I don't like having you out in the open this far away from the palace with such little protection."

Bail couldn't help but smile a little at that. Torten indeed was firm and hardened, but that didn't mean he didn't care, or didn't have a heart under his tough exterior. His concern and protectiveness for the royal family went beyond words, and even at times when he seemed so mean, it was a showcase for good intentions. Sighing to himself, Bail thought that maybe he was right in this case. They had traveled quite a bit away from the palace and it was only a few hours before the sun would start to make its decent. Just when he was about to agree, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Over to the right was a small group of children playing in the middle of the street with toys and chasing each other around in circles. A sudden thought came to him, and he started walking over towards them.

"Sir, where are you going?" Torten asked as he fell into step beside him.

"I think we may have been asking the wrong people, Torten," Bail answered. "Who better to ask about finding a child, than a child?"

As he approached the group of children, their laughter and chatter died away as they caught sight of him, their eyes widening.

"Hello there, children," Bail greeted them with a smile. "How are you? I was wondering if you all could help me."

"Uh, w-what is it Mr. Senator, sir?" said one girl who was missing a tooth.

"I think he's a 'highness,' Kara," the boy next to her whispered loudly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, your highness," Kara quickly corrected herself, her face going red.

"No, no, that's quite all right, dear one," Bail chuckled. "I'm actually looking for someone, but I don't know where she lives. Do any of you know someone named Ariel ?"

"Ariel? Yeah, Darran knows Ariel!" Kara said gleefully, turning around to face another boy with shaggy dark hair and looked to be a little older than her. "Don't you, Darran?"

Bail's smile grew wider and he could feel the relief spread through his chest. Finally, he had a clue to Ariel's location.

"Is this true?" he asked Darran.

"Yes," Darran said slowly, his eyes traveling over to where Torten stood, lean and glowering. "She's not in trouble, is she? If she is, I—I don't remember where she lives!"

"Yes, you do."

"Be quiet, Kara!"

"No son, she's not in trouble," Bail reassured the boy, touched at seeing his dedication to protecting his friend. "I would just like to talk to her, that's all. I promise."

Darran regarded Bail for a minute before biting his lip, shuffling his feet. He obviously wasn't sure about telling Bail, but he also didn't want to outright refuse the request of a senator. After another moment of silence, Darran timidly pointed.

"If you go down to the corner of this road and go left, her house is on the very end," he said quietly. "I don't know if she's home, though…"

"Thank you very much, Darran," Bail said gratefully. "And that's all right, I'll just speak with her parents in the meantime."

"Oh, but Ariel doesn't—"

"That's enough, Kara," one of the other girls said, placing her hand over the toddler's mouth. Bail raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to ask what Kara was meaning to say. He thanked all the children for their help and then set off in the direction Darran had pointed them in. Bail walked with more of a brisk step, anxious to finally meet with the family of the girl who saved Leia. It only took them minutes to find the house, and when they did, Bail took a minute to observe it. It was a simple little home, smaller than others, with some plants on the outside and washed out walls, with a roof in desperate need of fixing up. Torten went ahead and looked through the open windows, peering into the house with his usual frown.

"Are we sure that kid wasn't lying?" he said. "This place barely has anything in it, and it doesn't look like anyone is here."

"And there's no real lock on their front door," Bail noticed with a frown of his own. Were Ariel and her family low on income? Giving where they live and the state of their home, that was probably the case. Curious, Bail went forward and opened the door.

"Sir, this is technically considered breaking and entering," Torten stated.

"When has that ever stopped you?" Bail said with a smirk. However, his smirk disappeared the moment he stepped inside the house, his face falling faster than he could blink. He had seen the state of those who didn't have much money to their name, but it was rare when he saw living conditions such as this. There were very few pieces of furniture in the house, which only consisted the essentials such as a kitchen table with chairs, a loveseat, a coffee table with a lamp, and a single bed placed up against the wall, where a rumpled blanket and a doll rested, all crammed together in the tiny space. Torten wasn't kidding when he said there was barely anything in here. Bail's heart quickly felt heavier at the thought that this must have been all Ariel and her family could afford, which was hardly anything at all.

"Hello?" he called out, taking another step into the house, not wanting to be completely rude. "Is there anyone home?"

There was no answer, and Bail figured that everyone must have been out at the moment. At that moment, however, there was a low mewling noise coming in the direction of the kitchen, and he looked to see a familiar creature coming out from underneath the table and jumping on top, with its fierce amber eyes trained on him, some of its hair sticking on end. Torten instantly went for his blaster at the noise, but Bail quickly placed a hand on his arm to steady him.

"It's all right," he said. "It's just the Loth-Cat."

"I guess this is the right place then," Torten huffed, moving to the other side of the door to inspect the bed which had to be Ariel 's. Bail himself came closer to the Loth-Cat, Snow, and held out his hand towards her. Snow cautiously stepped forward to sniff at his hand, her ears twitching and her tail pointed upwards. She spent about a minute sniffing him and trying to get a good read on him before she finally calmed down enough to push her head against his palm. Smiling, Bail gently started stroking the creature's back and scratching her behind the ears.

"This house is more suitable for ghosts," Torten said as he went over to turn on the lamp sitting on the table. "This is no place for a child."

Bail couldn't help but agree, his mind spinning. This really was no place to raise a child. He wondered what kind of work Ariel's parents were involved in. Whatever it was, it obviously didn't pay well for them having to live in a place like this. Maybe he could do something to help with that. After all, their daughter risked her life to save his, he wanted to do something to show his appreciation for Ariel 's bravery and kindness. At the very least, he could offer them credits that could help them improve their lives a little, or help them in some small way. Leia was his entire world, and he knew he could never put his gratitude into words alone. As he was standing there thinking, he heard the sound of a door opening, and he turned to see someone enter the house.

It was none other than Ariel herself. The sight of the girl made Bail smile even more, joy spreading through him at finally having found her. The blonde girl walked into the house, not yet noticing his presence and carrying a pail of water at her side, wiping sweat away from her face and looking thoroughly tired, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Ariel placed the pail down on the ground and looked over at the lit lamp on the table. Bail watched as her expression went from confused, to nervous in a matter of seconds and it was only then that she moved her sight over towards him. When she at last noticed him standing there, he saw her eyes widen in shock, her body freezing up, and then her expression turned fearful, the same as yesterday.

 _She's terrified,_ Bail thought sadly to himself as he watched her. He remembered Darran asking him whether or not Ariel was in trouble…did she have the same thoughts as well? Not wanting to give Aril the wrong idea, Bail gave her a friendly smile and clasped his hands behind his back, moving a few steps forward, but slowly, so as not to startle her more than she already was. Ariel tried backing up towards the door, but Torten moved so that he was blocking it, making sure she had nowhere to go. Ariel stared at him in surprise, not knowing he was there, and then turned back to Bail, having the look of a trapped mouse.

"Hello, Ariel," he said to her gently. "My name is Bail. I was hoping that we could talk."

Ariel didn't respond to him, still gazing up at him with wide green eyes, strands of her blonde hair falling lose from her braid and into her face. Bail suddenly thought that somehow, for whatever reason unknown to him, Ariel looked vaguely familiar. He couldn't see why though…as far as he knew, this was only his second time seeing her. He rid himself of the thought for the moment, focusing on the frightened child in front of him.

"May we sit?" he asked her, gesturing his head to the kitchen table. Ariel still said nothing, seeming too scared to move from her spot by the door. Wanting to make her feel more at ease, Bail took a seat at the farthest end of the table, that way she could see that he was giving her plenty of space.

"It's okay, Ariel," he said softly. "I promise, we are not here to hurt you, and you're not in trouble in any way."

After what a couple more minutes, Ariel took a timid step forward and then slowly made her way over to the other chair at the table, slipping into it with ease, her eyes never leaving his. Snow went over to her owner and climbed down into Ariel's lap, where she curled up and placed her head on Ariel 's arm, looking as though she intended to take a nap right then and there. Now that she was here, Bail wasn't quite sure what to say, or how to even start a conversation with her. But before he could try and think of something to say, he was surprised when Ariel spoke to him first, so quiet he almost missed it.

"How do you know my name?" she said.

"My daughter told me," Bail replied.

"Leia?" Ariel said, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. "Is she doing okay?"

"Yes, she's fine," Bail told her, smiling tenderly at the obvious concern Ariel felt for his daughter. "Thanks to you, I might add. You see Ariel, that is the reason I am here. I wanted to thank you in person for saving Leia, and stopping those criminals from taking her."

"But, I—I didn't really do anything," Ariel muttered, her cheeks turning a little pink. "Snow is the one who led me to her…"

"Then I should be thanking the both of you," Bail said good naturedly, smiling at the creature in her arms. "Nonetheless, I still owe a lot to you, Ariel. Leia is very special and important to me, and knowing that she was almost taken scares me very much. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't come to help her, and I can never thank you enough for what you've done."

Ariel seemed at a loss at what to say, and Bail found some amusement in how her cheeks turned even brighter at the praise she was receiving, from the senator himself no less. He would admit she was a modest and sweet child, and he could start to see why Leia was so fond of her.

"Thank you, sir," she said. "I'm just happy that she's okay."

"As am I," Bail admitted, still smiling at her. "I was wondering Ariel, if your parents will be home soon? I was hoping to speak with them as well, to let them know what a brave and special girl they have. I wasn't sure how to express my gratitude to you and your family, but I was hoping if I met you all, then…"

Bail trailed off from his sentence, and his smile faded some at the look on Ariel's face. He knew instantly that he must have said something wrong, for at his words, Ariel hung her head, her eyes downcast, the only thing that could be described on her face was the outmost sadness and a pain that ran so deep that it hurt him to see such an expression on a child's features. Just as she was opening herself up ever so slightly, she seemed to immediately shut into herself again, a cloud forming over her.

"No," she whispered. "There's no one here."

Her words left Bail confused at first, but after looking at her slumped posture and her glassy eyes, he suddenly understood. Something like a knot twisted in his stomach as his eyes widened, realization hitting him like a wrecking ball as he stared around the house once again, taking in how utterly empty it seemed, with its few possessions, the pitiful amount of food in the cupboards, and the fact that it seemed as though this setting was only fit for one person. The truth of the matter hit Bail hard and it took a lot for him to keep his voice even as he spoke.

"Ariel …are you alone, here?" he asked her. Still avoiding his gaze, Ariel slowly nodded her head, her grip on Snow tightening. Bail sat there in silence for a moment, his heart clenching uncomfortable in his chest. This girl, this shy, brave little girl, was all alone and had no one to care for her. Her living conditions made more sense, and a feeling of great sadness overcame him, as it always does when the topic came to orphaned children. He had been to orphanages before, mostly holding children who had lost their parents or relatives as a result of the wars, and it didn't make it any easier, no matter how many years have passed since then. The same sadness and grief in their eyes was what he saw now in front of him in the form of this young girl.

"How long?" he said.

"Six months," Ariel replied. "Ever since my guardian died."

Six months. This girl had been living on her own for six months. Bail raised a hand to stroke his beard, going deep into thought. This certainly wasn't how he had planned for this visit to go. In that moment he wanted to do something to help her, but he didn't know what. He didn't have the power to bring her guardian back, and he couldn't snap his fingers to make her sadness go away, no matter how much he would want to. His gaze wandered over to the cupboards in the kitchen once again, and then it came to him like a bolt of lightning. He looked back over at her, taking in her thin frame underneath the raggedy clothes, along with her pale face. Living on her own all this time, she probably didn't have much to pay for good food, or even knew how to prepare it. He set out with the intention on finding Ariel and thanking her properly for what she had done, and maybe this was the answer.

"Ariel," he said. "Would you like to join me and my family for late-meal tonight?"

Ariel's head snapped back up so fast he was surprised she didn't have whiplash. Her eyes went as round as saucers, the shock and confusion of his question leaving her gaping like a fish, trying to properly register what he had just said.

"What?" she said. "Late-meal?"

"Of course," Bail said, ignoring the look he knew that Torten was sure to be giving him. "I wouldn't feel right leaving you here all alone tonight, and think of it as my way of expressing my gratitude. And you don't seem to have too much here."

"Oh no, sir, I couldn't ask—there's plenty for me to eat, I don't need much—"

"Ariel," Bail cut in gently. "You can't fool me. You're more hungry than you're letting on, aren't you?"

As if supporting his statement, there was a low grumbling sound, and Ariel quickly looked down at her stomach, her face once again going red in embarrassment.

"Your stomach seems to agree with me," Bail chuckled lightly. "It's settled, then."

"Sir, I'm not sure this is a good idea," Torten said.

"Nonsense, Torten, we simply cannot leave Ariel here on an empty stomach," Bail stated as he stood up from his chair and walked over to Ariel . "She will be coming with us."

"Can—can Snow come too?" Ariel asked shyly. "I don't want to leave her by herself."

"Of course she can," Bail replied, trying his best not to laugh at the sharp glare he was receiving from his captain. "This is a meal in her honor too, after all."

Ariel looked up at him and then, to his utter shock and delight, she offered him a tiny smile, and he was stunned at how much it changed her entire demeanor. This was the first time since he arrived that he has seen her smile, and it brightened up her whole face with such a glow that it was almost blinding. Bail offered is hand to her and after only a few seconds of hesitation, Ariel took it, and he helped her out of her chair. As they started making their way over towards the door, Ariel stopped him for a moment, letting go of his hand briefly to put Snow down, go over to her bed and pick up her doll, holding it close to her chest as she went back over to him. They, along with a disgruntled Torten, walked back outside and Ariel stuck close to Bail's side as they walked through the streets. It didn't take them long to make it back to their speeder, and once Bail lifted Ariel up into her seat with Snow, he clamored in with Torten and then they were off, leaving that neighborhood far behind them as they joined the traffic leading up to the palace.

"Don't look so sour, my friend," Bail said to Torten, seeing his expression. "It is only late-meal."

Even over the sounds of the speeder, Bail could have sworn he heard Torten mutter, "Yes, well, that remains to be seen once the Queen sees her."

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	4. A Hopeful Friend

**Hello there everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of A Journey through the Stars, and I just want to thank all those who have reviewed/favorited/followed this story, it does mean a lot that you guys have enjoyed this story enough to want to keep on reading. I know that these beginning chapters can seem like they're really dragging out, especially compared to other stroies that are much better than mine. A lot of this so far is just Ariel's beginnings, but trust me the adventure is just around the corner, and secrets will be revealed sooner than anyone may think. I really hope that you all enjoy this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and any questions/comments, please message me, and let me know of any mistakes.**

 **Disclaimer: All things Star Wars are not mine. It all belongs to the brilliant mind of George Lucas and Disney.**

Chapter Four: A Hopeful Friend

ArielPOV

Ariel was quiet during the whole ride through the city, keeping a tight hold of Luna and the wind brushing the hair out of her face as they fell smoothly into the traffic that was weaving its way through the roads and streets. Snow sat on her lap, seeming to enjoy herself as she placed her front paws on the dash, her tail swinging back and forth. While they rode towards the other end of the city, Ariel was lost in her thoughts. Could this really be happening? Was she really going to have late-meal with Senator Organa and his family? In a way Ariel was a bit nervous about it, for she had never been invited to dinner with someone with such high standing as the senator, but then again, she couldn't help but feel excited as well. For as long as she had been on Alderran, she had always daydreamed about what the royal palace must look like up close. The other children in her neighborhood would come up with exaggerated descriptions of what they imagined it would look like, yet now Ariel was actually having a meal there! Not only that, she would probably get to see Leia again, which made her smile a little to herself. No matter what Senator Organa said, she knew that Leia had as much of a hand in their escape as she did, and Ariel greatly admired her bravery. She wasn't what Ariel had expected for a princess, but she was still quite fond of the brunette. Overall the trip seemed to fly by, and Ariel soon found herself leaving the main city behind and passing by gigantic stone walls that had watchmen at the top, waving down at their speeder. Raising herself up to get a better look, Ariel gasped at what she saw.

Just ahead of them, growing closer with each passing second, was the grand palace, where the Alderaan royal family lived. Against the light and swirling colors of the distant setting sun, the palace shone brightly with it gleaming structure, its towering torrents, beautiful surrounding waterfalls, lush green valleys and mountains on its borders, and a magnificent lake on the left hand side that seemed to go on forever. The palace itself shone brightly, with small shuttles landing nearby at the platform just over yonder. Ariel had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life, and she was positively moved by it, taking the time to just stare. They crossed the grounds in the speeder until coming to what looked to be the entrance wing of the palace, where there were more guards dressed in the same uniform as Torten standing by the large silver and marble doors. Torten brought the speeder slowly to a stop at the base of the steps leading to the doors, and one of the guards came down to meet them, bowing respectively.

"Senator Organa," he said in welcome. "Captain. I trust your journey into the city has been successful?"

"Quite so," Bail replied with a smile as he got up and out of the speeder with ease, offering a helping hand to Ariel. "Ariel, this is Milo Elvenore, Torten's second in command of our personal guard. Milo, this is Ariel, she is to be our guest today."

Ariel gazed at the guard with fascination as she carefully climbed out of the speeder with Bail's help. He didn't appear to be too much younger than the senator, and he stood with the same posture of discipline, strength, and respect that Torten did. That must be what it's like for everyone in the royal guard. Milo gazed back at her with piercing blue eyes and neatly trimmed auburn hair underneath a hat to match his uniform.

"Hello, Mr. Elvenore," she said shyly.

"Hello Miss Ariel," Milo greeted in slight surprise as he looked back and forth from Ariel , to Bail, to Torten, and to Snow, who was standing by Ariel 's ankles. "Um, shall I inform the Queen you have returned?"

"No thank you Milo, I will inform her myself," Bail said, taking Ariel's hand and leading her up the steps. "Where is she?"

"The library, sir," Milo replied.

"Thank you," Bail said.

"Forgive me sir, I must attend to the night watch for their rounds," Torten said.

"Of course, Torten, I will see you later on," Bail said with a nod of his head. "Come, Ariel."

Ariel followed Bail as the other guards opened the doors for them, and her eyes grew wide at the sight of the beautiful entrance hall. Her gaze took in lovely white marble and silver everywhere from the floors to the lamps that hung on the walls, with gorgeous pictures and holo-portraits along the walls, a crystal chandelier hanging above their heads, and so many windows it felt as if they were still outside. The entire hall felt so fresh, elegant and new, yet still homely and modest at the same time. She couldn't help but stare as Bail took her up a few more steps and guided her over to a grand spiral staircase that sectioned off into the east and west wing of the palace at the top.

"Your home is so beautiful," Ariel whispered in complete awe.

"Thank you, Ariel," Bail said, smiling down at her. "If there is one thing my wife enjoys, it is making sure our home is as spacious and comfortable as possible. Many of the trinkets and treasures on display throughout the corridors have been handed down through her family for generations, some dating back to thousands of years ago."

"Have the Organas really been ruling for that long?" Ariel asked him, amazed.

"Not the Organas, no," Bail chuckled with a shake of his head. "It is my wife's family that has been ruling for quite some time."

"Oh," Ariel said softly. "What is it like being married to the Queen, sir?"

"Let's just say that it has certainly been an adventure," Bail answered. The two of them continued on walking through the corridors, and Ariel wished she had about eight more pairs of eyes so she could take in everything at one, to the beautifully carpeted floor to the various help and nobles scattered around, both humanoid and droid alike. Every one of them greeted Senator Organa was he passed, or at the very least bowed their heads. Ariel could also feel the stares she was receiving as well, and it made her a little uncomfortable. Being in such a clean, perfect place, she felt more like a dirty rat than ever, sticking out like a sore thumb. After many twists and turns, and climbing a couple flights of stairs, Organa and Ariel finally reached a set of oak doors with the Symbol of Alderran on it. Bail pushed the doors open, and Ariel was once again struck by the sheer magnificence of the room she stepped into. Laid out before her was a huge room filled to the brink with rows upon rows of holo-books, with mahogany shelving, green-tiled floors with a glass dome ceiling that seemed to reach out into the vast sky above. Near the middle of the room was a long rectangular table with many holo-books stacked on top, and looking through these books were two women. One of these women was an older woman appearing to be in her late forties, maybe early fifties at the latest, with silver hair tied up at the back of her neck in an elegant knot, with loose strands deliberately falling from it. She wore a soft green dress with a matching hood that flowed to her ankles in light ruffles, with a brown belt around her waist. Looking over to the other woman, Ariel's mouth dropped open as she realized that she had to been the Queen.

 _She's very pretty,_ Ariel couldn't help but think to herself. Queen Breha wore a gorgeous gown that had to be made from the softest silk material, which was a silvery blue color that fit her perfectly, rustling around her legs like ripples in a pond. She wore a headband around her head that could be considered a type of diadem, as it was made of rose gold with jewels embedded into the decorative leaves, sitting gracefully atop her dark curls, which were pinned up to frame her hazel brown eyes. Ariel wasn't sure how she was able to keep moving due to her shock and terrible case of nerves, her lips suddenly feeling dry. Probably sensing her nervousness, Bail gently pulled her forward with an encouraging smile. As they approached, the queen looked up from her books and once she caught sight of her husband, her eyes instantly lit up and a loving smile came across her lips.

"Bail," she said happily, placing the book down and walking around the table to meet him. "Thank goodness you're back. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm quite all right, Breha, I had Torten with me," Bail assured her.

"Yes, but you had _only_ Torten with you," she pointed out, giving her husband a certain look. "And when it comes to you, I can't help but worry. I honestly can't tell who is worse—you, or Leia."

Bail simply smiled at the queen and she smiled back at him in the same way, filled with such love and care, and he took a moment to step forward and give her a peck on the cheek. Ariel , feeling as if she were intruding, looked away to give them some sort of privacy, and it was only then that Breha took notice of her.

"Oh my," she said, her face lighting up even more as she gazed at Ariel . "Is this the famous Ariel we've heard so much about?"

"Indeed it is," Bail answered. "Ariel, I'd like you to meet my wife, Breha Organa."

"Pleased to meet you, your majesty," Ariel said politely, bowing down as low as she could, which was slightly difficult, given that she was still holding Bail's hand.

"Oh, no need for that, sweetheart," Breha said, bending down so that she and Ariel were at eye level, her kind smile never leaving her face. "And I must say, it is an absolute honor to meet you. I'm glad to finally see the beautiful face of the girl who saved my daughter's life. And who may this be?"

Ariel, who was already going red in the face, looked down to see that Breha was looking at Snow, who never left her place by Ariel's feet.

"This is Snow," Ariel replied. "She helped me and Leia."

"Then I have to give my thanks to her as well," Breha said, reaching out to scratch the Loth-Cat behind the ears. "Well, Ariel, as I'm sure my husband told you, we are so very thankful to you for what you did for Leia. It was very brave and very selfless of you, and we are in your debt."

"I thought it would be nice for Ariel to join us for late-meal tonight," Bail said.

"That's a wonderful idea, dear," Breha agreed as she stood to her feet. She looked around for a moment, as if she were expecting to see someone else there as well.

"Are your parents here, Ariel? It would be wonderful to have them as well."

Ariel's face fell a bit at Breha's question, but thankfully she was saved from answering when Bail cleared his throat.

"It will just be Ariel joining us tonight," he said. A silent conversation seemed to pass between the married couple, and although Breha looked a bit puzzled, she nodded her head nonetheless.

"All right then, well how about we get you washed up and into some more comfortable clothes?" Breha asked her. "Would you like that?"

"Yes please, your majesty," Ariel answered.

"Okay. Gherta?" Breha said, looking over to the elderly woman. "Could you please draw up a bath for Ariel in my quarters? I will be there shortly."

"Yes, my lady," Gherta answered.

"Gherta is my handmaiden, Ariel, she is very nice and will take care of you," Breha said. "I will be up once I've had a word with Bail, okay?"

Gherta smiled at Ariel, but the little girl still wasn't sure. After being on her own for so long, she had gotten used to not relying on someone to take care of her, or really to trust anyone else. The only person she was even starting to trust a little was Bail, and so she turned to him, biting her lip and her green eyes conflicted.

"Don't worry Ariel, it'll be okay," he said. "There is no need to be afraid. I will see you soon for late-meal, I promise."

Ariel stared at him for another moment before she nodded, slowly letting go of his hand. She approached Gherta timidly, and the old woman's face crinkled into a look of compassion as she softly place a hand on Ariel 's shoulder so as not to make her uncomfortable.

"Come on with me dearie, let's get you all cleaned up for late-meal," she said as she started leading Ariel out of the library. "My, that is certainly a pretty doll you have there. What's her name?"

"Luna," Ariel replied. "I think she needs a bath too…"

"There will be plenty of room in the tub for you both if you'd like," Gherta said. "Do you like bubbles?"

"I've never had bubbles in my bath before," Ariel admitted.

"Really now? Well, just you wait, dearie, we have so many different scents for you to choose from. When Princess Leia was just a babe, she used to love having them all at once, so the tub would overflow with different colored bubbles."

"Where is Leia?" Ariel asked.

"She is at her lessons right now, but you will see her when it is time to eat," Gherta told her. "I have to say she will be thrilled to see you dearie, she's been talking about you non-stop."

Ariel smiled a little at that and continued to follow Gherta out of the library and back out into the corridors.

BrehaPOV

Breha watched as Gherta took Ariel out of the room, speaking in friendly tones to the young girl to make her feel more comfortable, for it was clear to see that the child was shy and felt awkward about her surroundings if anything else. The queen smiled a little after them. Ariel was such a polite and timid girl, it didn't take long for Breha to grow fond of her, just as Leia has, and they had only just met. There was something about her that made Breha's heart swell slightly, like a natural charm and care. Once Ariel and Gherta were gone, she turned to her husband, who was also watching them leave. She remembered what he had said, about Ariel being the only one to join them for their meal, and the look he had given her asked her not to pry about it, not in front of Ariel at least. A sudden thought lingered in the back of her mind, something that made her smile fade a bit, and it was something she didn't want to believe or assume without hearing it herself.

"Bail," she said, walking over to him. "Why is Ariel by herself?"

Bail sighed before walking over to a nearby armchair and sinking down into it heavily.

"Ariel has no parents," he answered her softly, confirming Breha's thought. "When I finally found her, she was living in a small house near the city borders, completely alone."

Breha's heart instantly saddened greatly at this information, her smile vanishing in full, and she turned her head towards the doors that her handmaiden took the child through, feeling so incredibly sorry for Ariel.

"An orphan from the war?" she asked quietly.

"Most likely," Bail replied, looking sorrowful as well. "Her guardian died six months ago, ever since then she's been on her own."

"Six months?" Breha breathed out, shaking her head. "The poor girl. No child should have to fend for themselves like that."

"You should have seen the state of the house," Bail said. "I'm sure it was once a cozy home, but after so long without proper care, it's starting to fade away. There was barely anything there, and the few things Ariel did have would hardly last her through the week. I just thought having her come for a proper meal would be the least I could do for her."

"You truly do amaze me with your kindness and care, my love," Breha said, walking over to stand beside the chair and placing a hand on Bail's shoulder.

"It's not fair that a child should suffer because of the deeds of others," Bail said quietly, as if musing to himself. "I think we've seen enough of that to last a lifetime."

"Too true," Breha agreed thoughtfully. "In any case, I'm glad that you brought her here. I know that Leia will be happy to see her."

Bail smiled at that and placed his hand on top of hers, pulling it towards him to place a soft kiss on the back of it before rubbing small circles onto her skin.

"It's hard to believe that Leia has grown so attached to her so quickly," he said, and Breha could hear the hint of amusement in his voice. "From what she told us they had only known each other mere minutes before Torten and I found them."

"It's like that for children, sometimes," Breha said knowingly with a smile. "They can see the good as well as the bad in someone much easier than others most times, and to them, this galaxy is an open, innocent world. Besides, Leia doesn't have many friends to begin with."

"If any at all," Bail said quietly, the sadness creeping into his voice once again. "She is so driven, smart, and independent, but I know it's hard for her to make friends. They never see her for who she is."

"Unfortunately that can be a side effect growing up in this way of life," Breha added, her face also becoming sad as she remembered her own time growing up as a young princess, when her own mother had been queen. To be a princess was no easy task, with all the lessons in academics as well as adequate manners and politics. You had to walk a certain way, speak in a certain way, and let others know that while you were still human, you were also regal, someone who had duties and expectations required of you when you were next in line for the throne governing an entire planet. Breha did not regret the life she lived, far from it. Being the queen was tiresome, yes, but rewarding as well. Representing and caring for her people and her family was something she took in stride and she could never see herself doing anything else. Yet she could still see the hardships of her youth being passed down onto her daughter. Every day without fail, Leia had to attend her lessons and her classes in manners she took with Breha's sisters, who were determined to groom her into a prim and proper princess of Alderran. Leia sometimes rebelled against it, preferring to speak her mind rather than be a decorative wall flower. As exasperated as Breha felt about it sometimes, she also loved the fierce spirit she inherited from Bail and she knew that one day it would help her become a headstrong future member of the senate, which had been Leia's dream for some time.

Unfortunately, this deterred Leia from finding any friends, at least any true ones. Both Bail and Breha had taken Leia to social gatherings, where she had the opportunity to meet and mingle with the children of nobles from nearby territories and acquaintances of the royal family. Leia was bold and headstrong in some aspects, but in others, she was still a young child. She did try to socialize with the other children, but they never really got on a more personal level. Everyone around her treated Leia as some sort of dainty princess that was more suited to have a pretty smile and only put in her opinion when needed. Being a royal, it is commonly believed that one had to act a certain way when in your presence, but Breha knew that all Leia wanted was to meet someone who would like her for who she is, not what her title claimed her to be.

"I want a friend who likes me for me, not because they're obligated to," Leia had confessed to Breha once.

 _But maybe this time will be different,_ Breha thought to herself. Ariel had come to Leia's side when she was in need, not because she was a princess, but because she saw another girl in danger and decided to act. Breha knew that courageous act effected Leia, and it was the only time that someone outside her family and the royal guard cared for her in such a way. That was why she was so insistent on Bail finding her, to find the kindred spirit who she saw as a potential, hopeful friend, one that she has been secretly aching for.

"It's why I was so determined to find her," Bail admitted. "I hadn't seen Leia so happy and eager about anything in so long, I wanted to see her smile like that again."

"She will today, my love," Breha soothed with a tender look. "Thanks to you."

"Thanks to Ariel," Bail said. "And her furry friend."

"I'm honestly surprised that Torten allowed that little creature in his speeder," Breha giggled.

"He wasn't thrilled about it, believe me," Bail said, chuckling a little as he remembered the sour look on his friend's face as Snow jumped up into the speeder outside of Ariel 's house. "But I think Snow may be the only company Ariel has. She didn't want to leave her."

"Well I better not see any muddy paw prints on the floors, Mr. Organa," Breha stated, giving her husband a mock glare. "You know Tulee will have a fit."

"She already nags Torten to no end about it when he finishes training with the new recruits," Bail said, full out laughing at this point. "They're worse than an old married couple."

"And to think that could be us in ten years," Breha said, laughing right along with him. Breha and Bail fell into a comfortable silence together, still clasping each other's hands, and the queen spent a moment looking out at the sun that was finally starting to go over the far valleys, disappearing into the quickly approaching night. After a few more minutes, their comfortable silence was broken once again as the library doors opened, and they looked over to see Orcan, one of their faithful chief advisors walk briskly into the room. His scarlet red robes billowed out behind him as he moved, his gray bald head shining in the light of the room, his pointed ears as sharp as ever and his beady green eyes holding a sense of urgency as he made his way over to them, a holo pad clutched in his clawed hands.

"Excuse me, Senator," he said, bowing low to them before straightening up. "Your Majesty. I apologize for the interruption sir, but the ambassadors from the Galacta system are here."

"Damn it all," Breha heard Bail mutter from under his breath. "With everything that's happened I completely forgot about the meeting. Breha, I'm sorry, I've already had to reschedule once…"

"Don't worry dear," Breha reassured him. "You go on."

"I won't be long," Bail said as he stood to his feet, although he still held on to her hand. "I promise. I will fetch Leia from her lessons when I am finished."

"Then I will see you both soon at late-meal," Breha said. Bail nodded, gave her a loving smile along with a kiss to the back of her hand before he released it and then proceeded to follow Orcan out of the library. Breha smiled after her love before turning back to the holo books she had been looking at. She gathered them in her hands, deciding to take them all to her room where she could look at them later. Soon she was leaving the library herself and walking through the many glistening halls of the palace and the luscious green courtyards that led up to the tower where she shared the master bedroom and living quarters with Bail. It didn't take her long before she finally reached her room, and when she did she opened the doors that led into a beautiful white and cream colored space, expanding long and wide on each side of her. The ceiling reached high above her head, leading up to a brilliantly lit chandelier made of the finest crystals and pearls. The bed was set up against the right hand side, neatly made with fresh clean white and yellow linens, blankets and sheets. There were closets in one corner, and a tall, grand vanity in the other. A cozy fireplace was set against the wall in the center of the room, while there were lounge chairs and couches leading out onto the rounded balcony that had a beautiful view of the surrounding lake. There was a door off to the left that led into the refresher which was cracked open, and Breha could hear the sounds of voices on the other side. After a few more seconds, the door opened all the way to reveal Gherta stepping through, carrying the dirty clothes Breha recognized as Ariel's.

"Your Majesty," Gherta greeted with a respectful bow of her head. "I've got the little lady all set to go in the bath. I'll be getting rid of these and finding her some proper attire, I'm sure the princess may have something close to her size."

"Thank you very much, Gherta," Breha said. Gherta nodded before making her way back out of the room. Breha stood for a moment, thinking, and then walking over to the door, which Gherta left slightly ajar. She knocked a few times softly so as not to startle Ariel .

"Ariel?" she called in. "Are you doing all right in there?"

"Yes," she heard in reply. "But, um…I—I think I need help…"

Breha carefully opened the door all the way as she stepped inside the room. Her eyes fell upon the little blonde girl, who was sitting upright in a large tub with her body almost completely covered by bubbles of all different colors and scents, foaming on the surface of the hot water as well a floating in the air. Ariel's head was a mess of sopping wet knots that fell deep beneath the water, and her cheeks were set aflame as she stared up at Breha in embarrassment, gesturing over to the nearby stand that held many bottles of different shapes and sizes.

"There's a lot of soap," she mumbled. "I don't know which one to use."

Breha couldn't help but smile at Ariel's innocent confusion and proceeded to take a silver bottle from the shelf.

"Here dear, you can use this one," she said. "It's my favorite, it has essence of a water lily that only grows on this planet. It is good for hair and leaves such a lovely scent."

"Are you sure it's okay for me to use your things?" Ariel asked, looking very unsure of herself.

"Of course Ariel, I would be happy to share with you," Breha replied as she handed the bottle over. "Do you need any help?"

"Um, no thank you," Ariel answered, her cheeks still red. "I think I've got it."

"All right, well I'll be just out here if you need me," Breha said as she stood to her feet and then left the room, leaving the door ajar behind her. The queen settled herself in one of her chairs closer to the balcony with one of the holo books in hand, patiently waiting for Ariel to be done so they could walk down to the dining hall together. It was only then that she noticed Snow chair closest to the door to the refresher, being ever so watchful of her mistress while cleaning herself and purring softly. A little time went by before Gherta returned with some clothes for Ariel to wear, placing them with Ariel in the other room before returning to Breha's side.

"Such a polite child," Gherta noted. "She had such fun picking out the bubbles for her bath, like they were colorful floating stars. Will you be needing anything else milday?"

"No thank you, Gherta," Breha said. Gherta bowed her head and then took her leave, making sure to close the door quietly after herself. As the minutes ticked on, the sun sunk lower and lower into the sky and after a little while longer, the door to the refresher opened and Breha looked up to see Ariel stepping out of it.

The sudden change in the girl's appearance had Breha gaping for a moment. The barely noticeable dirt that was on Ariel's face and hands had been washed off, leaving behind fair pale skin that seemed to glow in the fading light of the sunset. The dress that Gherta had brought for her was a bright, vibrant coral color that changed into darker shades as it got closer to the hem of the skirt, with a thin belt around her waist made out of gold thread, loose sleeves that were slit open starting from just beneath her shoulders to just above her wrists, which were wrapped delicately with velvet cuffs. There were two small gold pins on top of each shoulder to hold a built-in scarf in place, and just under the skirt Breha could see the tips of a pair of slippers that seemed a bit big on her feet. The dress hung loose on Ariel's hips and by her shoulders, but other than that, Ariel looked as if she could have been a royal princess herself.

"Oh, Ariel," Breha breathed, standing to her feet. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ariel said, her face pulled into a tiny frown as she picked at one of the sleeves.

"What's wrong, dear?" Breha asked.

"The sleeves feel a little scratchy," Ariel muttered. "And I…I've never worn anything this pretty before. It's nice but kind of—weird."

"Well, you look stunning in it nonetheless," Breha stated with a smile. She then noticed that Ariel's hair was still a tangled wet mess on top of her head, although now that it was washed it didn't look as matted as it was when she had first gotten into the tub. Breha offered to brush Ariel's hair for her and the little girl agreed somewhat hesitantly as she followed Breha over to the vanity. Breha gently guided Ariel to the seat in front of it, taking her hairbrush and moving to stand behind her. Having dealt with Leia's long dark hair for so long, this was not new territory for Breha but she still made sure to use a careful hand as she started running the brush through Ariel 's sun-kissed locks. Ariel sat still for the most part, flinching every now and then when Breha would come across a particularly painful knot, but she never complained or put up a fuss. As she brushed her hair, Breha suddenly noticed the silver chain that hung around Ariel's neck and dangling from the end of it was a pretty silver ring with a white stone set in the middle that seemed to sparkle in the light.

"That's a very lovely ring, Ariel," Breha complimented. "I didn't notice it before."

"Oh, I usually keep it underneath my clothes," Ariel muttered, tucking the ring underneath the neckline of her dress and out of sight. "I'm scared that someone might see it and try to steal it. It's all I have left of my mother's."

"I see," Breha said sadly. "Well it's very beautiful."

"Thank you," Ariel said quietly. The process of brushing the little girl's hair took some time, but Breha could see Ariel visibly relax the closer they got to the top of her head, and she had to admire Ariel 's lovely thick hair, starting off pin straight but forming loose waves at the end. When she had finally gotten all the knots out, she took a few minutes to just run her brush through Ariel's hair, knowing all too well how wonderful it feels.

"There you go, sweetie," Breha said. "How's that?"

Ariel didn't respond and when Breha moved her gaze over to the child's reflection she was surprised to see that her jade green eyes were starting to well with tears, her hands folded in her lap.

"Ariel? What's wrong?" Breha asked, pausing in her movements.

"M-my Mama used t-to brush my hair l-l-like that," she stuttered. "I miss h-her."

Breha's heart broke all over again at Ariel's words, and the sadness she felt earlier upon hearing that Ariel was an orphan returned. She placed the brush aside and moved so that she was bending down next to Ariel, gazing up into her distraught face. Ariel's lips were trembling a bit and a couple tears managed to fall down her face. Breha used her hand to wipe them away and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry, Ariel," she said softly. "I bet you loved your Mama, didn't you?"

Ariel nodded her head, sniffling.

"And I'm sure she loved you too, so very much," Breha said. "I know she would have been proud to know she had such a kind, brave, and generous daughter like you."

"S-sometime I'm scared I'll forget her," Ariel admitted.

"As long as you keep hold of the memories you have of her, she will still be alive in your heart and you will never forget her," Breha said while wiping away the last of Ariel's tear. "Don't be sad anymore dear, everything will turn out okay, you'll see. Now, let's finish with your hair and then we'll go down to meet Bail and Leia."

Ariel seemed to brighten up a little at that, offering a small smile. Breha straightened up and gathered some of Ariel's hair into her hands, beginning to braid it. About ten minutes later, Breha had three thin braids going along the sides of Ariel 's head and over top of it, coming together to form an elegant knot at the back of her head. She made two more braids fall over her shoulders and then left the rest of hair to fall freely down her back like a soft golden waterfall. When they were all done, Ariel called Snow over to her side and then Breha led her out of the room and down the corridor, making their way down to the dining hall together. It didn't take long and when they finally reached the hall, they opened the doors to see that Bail was already there, along with Leia, the two of them sitting at the table.

"Ariel!"

The second Leia had set sights on Ariel, she jumped out of her seat in pure excitement and then rushed over towards them at a brisk pace, her smile wide and infectious as she came to a stop before them. Ariel smiled as well, stepping forward to greet the young princess.

"Hi Le—um, your highness," Ariel said, dropping into a quick but awkward curtsey.

"Please, just call me Leia," the brunette insisted, still smiling. "I'm so happy you're here, I'm glad Father was able to find you! It's wonderful that you are joining us for late-meal, I was so very excited when Father told me—"

"Slow down there, Leia," Bail chuckled as he stood from his seat as well. "You will run out of breath from talking so fast."

"Sorry, Father," Leia said, looking slightly sheepish. "Are you hungry, Ariel? The food will be ready soon, you can sit next to me if you'd like."

Breha smiled fondly as Ariel nodded happily at Leia's offer and accepted her outstretched hand. The two girls made their way over to the chairs on the left hand side of the table while she took the seat at the end opposite of Bail. When they were all settled, Leia and Ariel instantly broke into cheerful conversation and from the corner of her eyes Breha saw Snow trot over to lay down at Ariel's feet, being the ever watchful guardian.

"I'm sorry if you were scared yesterday, Ariel," Leia said. "Torten's nice when you get to know him, he just looks scary."

"Leia," Breha reprimanded while Ariel giggled.

"Father said he showed you the library," Leia continued on. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I've never seen so many books in my life…"

"How did the meeting go, dear?" Breha asked Bail over the girl's chatter.

"As well as can be expected," Bail responded as one of the maids came out from the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks. "With any luck we should be opening trade routes with them soon."

"And when do you have to go back to Crocusant?" Breha asked.

"In four days," Bail replied. "Hopefully my stay will be brief. I'd much rather be at home with my girls."

Breha smiled at him just as the kitchen doors opened once again and trays of delicious smelling food were brought out to the table, all steaming as they were placed in front of them. Ariel herself seemed positively shell-shocked at the sight of all the food that was being served, her mouth slightly open and her eyes going very wide. There was soup, meat, vegetables, fruit, and all other kinds of wonderful things laid out in silver platters and goblets.

"Wow," she said. "I've never seen this much food before! What's this, Leia?"

"That's a kind of stew our cook specializes in," Leia explained, gesturing to the silver bowl Ariel was looking at. "It goes great with bread and cheese."

"You can have as much as you like, Ariel," Bail told the little girl. "This meal is in your honor. I'd like to propose a toast."

Bail, Breha and Leia all raised their glasses to Ariel, who quickly became very red in the face.

"Here's to you, Ariel," he said. "For your bravery, kindness, and being such a good friend to Leia."

Ariel 's face became darker as Breha and Leia joined in on the toast, and then they all took a sip of their drinks before breaking into pleasant chatter once again as they ate their meal. Leia would tell Ariel about the type of lessons she took and Breha would speak to Bail of other things involving politics and what's going on with the Senate at the moment, which neither of the girls were interested in at the moment.

"I spoke with Mon Mathma the other day," Bail told her, taking a sip from his goblet and giving Breha a certain look.

"Oh?" Breha said, casually cutting into her meat but her posture going a bit straighter in her seat. "How is she?"

"Doing well, all things considered. She is actually due to run a debate on her planet's council concerning new laws that could impact their trading routes as well as their financial situation for their resources," Bail informed her. "She had asked if I would be available to assist her in the debate, as we share similar ideals on the matter."

"But must you go so soon?" Breha asked. "You haven't been home long since you've returned from the Ileanian System."

"I know dear, but it would only be for a few days, and I wouldn't be leaving until next week," Bail assured her. "Mon could really use some help right now, this debate could really support or crumble the laws on her planet, if the other members of her council have anything to say about it, and they are our ally after all."

Breha fell silent for a moment, deep in her thoughts. Due to them being in the presence of Leia and Ariel , she knew that they couldn't say what they really wanted to say. They had learned some time ago to speak in coded terms to one another if they could not speak in privacy, because it was much too dangerous otherwise. To everyone else, they would hear Bail's concern of a good friend's dilemma, but Breha knew there was an entirely different meaning beneath the surface.

" _Mon Mathma is handling an issue at the base with recruiting and supplies runs for our troops. She asked if I could join the next meeting with the Rebel Council to resolve it."_

" _But must you go so soon? You haven't been home long since the last time you went."_

" _I know dear, but it would only be for two days, and I wouldn't be leaving until next week. Mon needs everyone in the council to attend, this issue has to be dealt with if we want to move forward or the Empire will find us out. I must do what I can to help."_

Breha sighed softly to herself, knowing that Bail was right, although the idea of him leaving again so soon made her weary.

"I understand," she said finally, trying to give him an encouraging smile. "Please give Mon my regards, and I hope you two will be able to settle the debate."

Bail smiled at her before continuing to eat his meal while Breha went back to hers, hoping that this trip indeed wouldn't last long and that it would bring her husband home safe and sound. If she had her way he would never leave Alderran for such a dangerous task, but she knew the risks and had to push through them. They both knew, even when Bail decided to forge the Rebellion along with Mon Mathma and other leaders and senators from other systems.

Six years ago, when the Empire was still in its beginning stages of stretching it's dark hand across the galaxy, more and more systems began falling underneath it's shadow. Planets were being invaded and conquered, cruel laws and restrictions were being passed, and anyone or anything that posed as a threat or dared defied the Emperor and his army of Stormtroopers were murdered in cold blood. Bail heard of planets and cultures that fell prey to the Empire's wishes, leaving lives destroyed, and families torn apart. Even worse, he had heard the whispered rumors that those who were discovered to be Force Sensitive were killed or recruited to work for the Empire as Inquisitors, to seek out and destroy others like them. The idea infuriated Breha to no end, because she knew that this was because the Emperor did not want the possibility of any new Jedi coming into being. The Jedi, who were strong wielders of the Force and once the peacekeepers of the galaxy, were all exterminated twelve years ago following the purge on the Jedi Temple. Whoever wasn't killed in the temple were murdered by the clone soldiers they had fought alongside with during the war, who were unknowingly under the influence of the Emperor. Very few Jedi escaped and scattered into the wind, and Emperor Palpatine sent only his best to go out and hunt them down, one of them being his ever faithful right-hand man and fellow Sith, Darth Vader.

Breha shook her head a little, not wanting to dwell on the fearsome Sith Lord who stroke fear into the hearts of those who've heard of him. Vader was a ruthless monster who was part man, part machine, skilled and powerful with the dark side of the Force. He was merciless in his missions, although the media made him out to be a conquering hero of the Empire. He and the Inquisitors have made good work of hunting down any remaining Jedi, and taking care of those who had the potential to become one, no matter how old or young they were. Such ruthless violence and cruelty had been enough for Bail, along with many other senators, noblemen, and leaders who were tired of seeing their people along with others suffer from the evil the Empire ruled with. And so, years ago Bail and other members of the council came together to begin to form a secret group that would go against the Empire and repel against its wrongdoings, calling themselves the Rebel Alliance. The Rebellion started off very small indeed, with a small amount of men and woman who were willing to take a stand and fight for the freedom of the galaxy. It was rough in the beginning, they didn't have the numbers or the supplies to take on any major battles, but after a long time of gathering information and recruiting, there was finally some light to be shed. The Rebellion started having members and spies in different parts of the galaxy, and as their numbers grew, their will became more bold. Breha herself knew that they fought some battles, but she never asked for the exact details, and she knew Bail would not tell her anyway, thinking she already knew too much. She was proud of Bail for what he was doing, what he was fighting for, even though there were times she feared for his safety. It has been some time since the Rebellion was formed, and she was positive that the Empire must know about it, although their movements as well as their base was thankfully still hidden, so they haven't been found. Not yet, at least.

"Mother?" Leia said, drawing Breha from her thoughts.

"Yes, dear?" she said.

"Is Ariel going to be spending the night?" Leia asked, with all the innocence a twelve year old could muster. Her question caught Breha off guard for a moment, and she raised her eyes in surprise. She was so deep into her mind that she didn't hear any of the girl's conversation, so she had no idea how this topic was even brought up. It was quiet for a moment as Breha looked over at Bail, a silent question passing between them. She glanced back over at Leia, who was gazing at them with bright hope and eagerness shining in her eyes, looking from one to the other.

"Spending the night?" Bail mused, stroking his thin mustache for a moment. "Hmm."

"Please, Father? She can stay with me in my room, I promise we'll behave," Leia pleaded.

"It's okay Leia, I don't want to impose on you and your parents," Ariel said softly, looking down at her plate.

"Don't be silly!" Leia objected. "You wouldn't be imposing on us, and you can't be alone tonight."

"I'll be all right, I always am," Ariel countered, and Breha could see she was trying to give her an encouraging smile. "And I have Snow with me."

As if to speak her agreement, the Loth-Cat mewled at them, her tail wrapped around her legs. Breha shared one last look at her husband and after a moment they both smiled, the two of them thinking along the same lines.

"Well, what do you think, Ariel?" Breha said to the young girl. "Would you like to stay the night?"

Ariel seemed stunned for a moment, her mouth hanging open slightly, making Breha smile in amusement. The girl simply gaped at them all for a minute like a fish before she closed her mouth and fiddled with the sleeve of her dress.

"Are—are you sure, your majesty?" she said quietly, as if hardly able to believe what she was hearing. "I wouldn't be a bother?"

"Of course not, Ariel," Breha answered with a shake of her head. "We would love to have you, wouldn't we Bail?"

"Absolutely," Bail agreed. "I see no harm in it, and I know Leia would very much appreciate it."

Leia was nodding her head enthusiastically, turning to Ariel with a bright smile, and Breha was happy to see her daughter so very excited and joyful.

 _I have a very good feeling about this._

 **Hello again. So, for this chapter i made just a couple changes, I know that the Rebel alliance hasn't been around as long as I'm making it seem, but to better benefit this story, I made it as though it had been around for a while, just doing small missions before eventually going head to head with the Empire. But anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter, please let me know what you thought about it, and I'll see you in the next one!**


	5. Flowers in the Garden

**Hello everyone! It's really good to see you all again, and welcome back to A Journey Through the Stars. Well, here it is, chapter five, and I really hope you all like it. I won't say too much here, it's getting late and I'm about to head to bed. Please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All things Star Wars are not mine!**

Chapter Five: Flowers in the Garden

ArielPOV

Ariel stared out into the vast night sky which was scattered with millions upon millions of bright, twinkling stars, smiling as the cool breeze gently stroked her face while she rested her arms on the railing of the balcony. Late-meal ended a while ago, and now she was resting in Leia's room until it was time for the two of them to go to bed. Leia had brought her to her room, which was a lot like Queen Breha's, where the two of them sat talking in a couple of armchairs close to the balcony. They spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other better, although Leia did most of the talking. Ariel was perfectly content to just sit and listen as Leia told her of many things, such as the charity events her father held, her dream to become a senator when she was old enough, and how sometimes she dreamed of exploring the far reached of the galaxy to discover new worlds. Soon after, the two girls had gotten changed into their night dresses and then Breha had come in to say goodnight. Ariel made sure to thank the queen once again for allowing her to stay for the night. She couldn't believe her ears when Leia had asked her parents if she could, and she was even more surprised when Bail and Breha agreed to it. For royal figures such as themselves to take in a scrawny little kid from the streets, offer her food and a comfortable place to sleep, was beyond kind. Their actions warmed her heart, and she would never be able to explain her gratitude in words. Even though she was only there for one night, the compassion she received from the royal family and the beginning sparks of friendship she was developing with Leia was well worth it.

"It's so beautiful here," Ariel called over her shoulder to Leia, who was sitting in front of her vanity. "You're lucky you get to see this every day, Leia."

"I suppose, but it's different when you see the same thing every single day," Leia pointed out as she ran a brush through her hair. "But I understand what you mean—I love my home, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. What about you, Ariel ? Were you born on Alderran?"

"No," Ariel replied, shaking her head as she moved away from the balcony and went over to sit on the massive canopy bed made up of soft blankets and pillows. "I came here when I was six with my guardian."

"Really? What is your home planet?" Leia asked.

"I'm from Lothal," Ariel said taking one of her wavy strands of hair and playing with it.

"Lothal?" Leia said in surprise as she turned around in her seat. "I think I've heard of that planet. Wasn't it…I mean, I heard the Empire took it over some time ago."

Ariel grew quiet at this point, still playing with her hair as she stared down at the sheets, that familiar feeling of sadness watching over her. In her mind's eye she could see the grassy plains of her old home, see the stone wall that stood tall over her tiny frame, along with the smoke that consumed her home, and hearing the sound of thunderous roars as the Imperial ships landed not far from her farm.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, it did."

Something in her voice must have tipped Leia off, because within the next minute, she felt the bed shift next to her and she looked up to see the princess sitting beside her, her eyes sad.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," Ariel muttered.

"I won't ask, but you can talk to me if you want," Leia told her. "Sometimes it helps if you talk about it with someone."

"I'd rather not," Ariel said. Leia nodded in understanding before asking what Ariel 's guardian did.

"He was a carpenter," Ariel explained, a tiny smile coming across her face at the thought of Mr. Kudo. "He had jobs making things for well-paying customers, like wardrobes, carts, and even fixed up a speeder here and there. He would work all day, but he would always have time to spend with me at night. We would plant flowers outside our home, he would teach me how to make simple meals, and on his days off we would meditate together in the forest outside of the city."

"Meditate?" said Leia.

"Yes, Mr. Kudo would teach me all kind of things to help me sooth and clear my mind," Ariel said. "We would sit by the pond for hours, and he even taught me how to fight a little. When we got home he would always let me have a piece of my favorite fruit for dessert."

"He taught you how to fight?" Leia asked, deeply impressed. "No wonder you were able to fight off that Elom and Khommite!"

"That was just simple maneuvering," Ariel said. "Mr. Kudo was going to teach me more advanced stuff when I was older, but…"

"I see," Leia whispered. "How did—um, Mr. Kudo die?"

"He was old, and he got really sick," Ariel replied. "My neighbor just said it was his time. Ever since then I'd been on my own, except for Snow, of course."

"How did you get her?" Leia asked as she stroked said creature's back as Snow was curled up on one of the pillows, fast asleep. "I've never seen a creature like this on Alderran."

"She's native to my home planet, on Lothal," Ariel said. "She was being trafficked in one of the markets by a horrible Del Korr a few months ago. He wanted to sell her to someone who wanted her fur. I just saw her and I couldn't leave her there. I managed to break open her cage and get her out of there while the Del Korr wasn't looking. She was hurt so I nursed her back to health and she's been with me ever since."

"She's very lovely," Leia commented with a smile.

"And very stubborn," Ariel giggled. "But she's been my only friend ever since Mr. Kudo died."

"Not anymore," Leia interjected confidently.

"What?"

"Ariel, you're really nice, nicer than other kids my age, and you're not afraid to be yourself around me. Most people I meet feel like they have to act a certain way around me, and I don't like it. I know that I'm a princess but I don't like it when people don't even take the chance to get to know me. You're brave Ariel, and you proved it when you saved me yesterday. You didn't know who I was, did you?"

"No," Ariel affirmed, shaking her head. "Even if you weren't a princess I still would have done it."

"And that's what I'm talking about. Name and rank doesn't matter to you, and there are not many people like that," Leia said.

"Mr. Kudo told me to think of people as flowers," Ariel admitted with a small smile. "There are so many different kinds—tall ones, red ones, blues ones, ones that bloom in the valleys and even rare ones that you see on the edge of a desert. They're all different, but they're still flowers."

"It sounds like he was very wise," Leia noted. "But Ariel, what I'm trying to say is, that I…I would really like for us to be friends."

"Really?" Ariel said, her eyes going slightly wider at the princess' request. "You want to be my friend? I've never had friends before."

"Well, you have one now," Leia proclaimed. Ariel smiled at that, her whole face lighting up. Leia wants to be her friend, and that sounded like a wonderful idea to her. The two girls stayed up for a little while longer talking together until the night's events started weighing down on them. They crawled under Leia's thick blankets and made themselves comfortable. Ariel, never sleeping in such luxurious comforts before, snuggled her face deeper into her pillow while holding Luna close to her heart, her hazy mind filling itself with the pleasurable memories of the day. She shared a meal with the royal family, was invited to spend the night in their palace, and even made friends with the princess. Ever since Ariel was left to fend for herself, there have been plenty of bad days, but it was safe to say that today was definitely one of the best ones.

….

The next morning, Ariel and Leia were awakened early by Leia's two aunts, one of them having no trouble flinging the curtains wide open while the other set to work on getting the girls out of bed. Corela, the older of the two, brought out two of Leia's dresses for them to wear while the younger sister, Leisel, gushed over Ariel's beautiful hair. In next to no time, both Ariel and Leia were dressed in lovely attire, with Leia wearing a pretty cloud-white dress and Ariel wearing periwinkle blue. Unfortunately, Leia was due to start her lessons after morning-meal was finished, and so Ariel found herself a little down as they walked back down to the dining hall together.

"Good morning girls," Queen Breha welcomed as they entered the room and took a seat at the table.

"Why the long face, Ariel?" Bail asked, looking at them from over a news hologram.

"I have to go to my lessons today, and I might not be able to see Ariel before she has to go home," Leia explained, looking a bit sad herself. "I don't want her to be by herself."

"I understand dear, but you know how important your studies are," Breha said to her daughter. "And there is no need to worry about saying goodbyes so soon, Ariel doesn't have to leave right away. I was actually thinking about taking a nice stroll through the garden after we eat. Ariel, would you like to join me?"

"Really?" Ariel said with a smile. "Oh yes please, your majesty!"

"Maybe I can show you the history gallery in the south wing," Leia added with enthusiasm. "May I, Mother?"

"After your lessons," Breha said, taking a sip of her tea. "Now eat up, girls."

This meal was just as pleasant and wonderful as the one from the previous night, with different kinds of food that Ariel was still not used to, but enjoyed immensely. She mostly talked with Leia while the queen and her husband spoke amongst themselves, and after some time had passed, Bail stood to his feet, informing them that he had some business to attend to with the high council. He gave Breha a gentle kiss on the head and did the same to Leia as he passed by, and Ariel could hear him whispering softly not to give her aunts too much trouble, to which the princess merely grinned. Soon enough it was time to bid farewell to Leia as well, and to Ariel's great surprise, Leia gave her a quick yet tender hug before dashing off, promising to see her later. When they were finished with their meal, the maids took their dishes away and Breha walked over to Ariel and took her hand, helping her to her feet and the two of them left the dining hall together.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Breha asked her.

"Very well, thank you," Ariel replied. "You can see the stars so brightly here, just like at home."

"At home?" Breha inquired.

"Yes," Ariel said after a moment. "I used to live on Lothal."

"Really?" Breha said. "I've heard many good things about that planet, although I've not yet had the chance to see it for myself. I hear it's quite beautiful at night."

"It is," Ariel agreed. "Sometimes there would be an aura in the sky, too, even though it wasn't cold where we lived."

Ariel and Breha continued to make small yet nice chatter as they walked through the corridors of the palace. Once in a while Ariel would ask a question about certain things they passed, such as the trinkets and artifacts that were displayed on pedestals, or the holo-pictures of former rulers of Alderran. Breha didn't seem annoyed by her questions at all. In fact, she seemed more than happy to answer, explaining everything to Ariel in a way she understood, and Ariel found the history behind these small treasures fascinating. Eventually they finally made their way outside and Breha led her through one of the courtyards that went around towards the south end of the palace. They passed by underneath an ivory archway with high walls on either side of it, covered with lush green ivy. The moment they passed through it, Ariel's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened at the beautiful sight before her.

Beyond the archway was a breathtaking, lively, colorful and vibrant garden that left the little girl completely speechless. They stood at the entrance to what could be described as a large clearing that had yet another archway that seemed to lead into the deeper sections of the garden, with a stone walkway at their feet. Right in the middle was a large fountain that shot out jets of clear blue water that sparkled like diamonds as the sun hit it, and all around the base were gorgeous flowers of every shape and color. So many different scents filled her nose, creating a pleasant sensation in Ariel's stomach, and she smiled brightly at the wonderful sight. Feeling suddenly very giddy, she hurried over to the fountain without thinking and leaned over the edge, gazing at her reflection in the water.

"It's so pretty!" she breathed in delight. "How do you take care of so many flowers?"

"Our gardeners take very good care of them," Breha replied with a smile as she came to stand next to Ariel. "And I also like to tend to them as well, and Leia usually helps me."

"This is the most beautiful place in the galaxy," Ariel stated, staring around. "What are these flowers here? These white ones?"

"Lunas Lotus," Breha answered, bending down to the flower Breha was pointing at. "There are two different kinds. You see the green diamond designs on the petals? That means this one has nectar that can be used for medicine and healing. But if you ever come across one that has purple designs, then you must leave it be. Those ones have deadly poison."

The next hour or so was spent with Ariel walking around the huge garden area with Queen Breha, asking new questions every time they came upon a new section, which held different batched of flowers in them. Breha was glad to answer as best she could, and after asking for permission, Ariel would gaze around each section with keen interest and pluck a single flower from each one, wanting to make a small bouquet. Time went by very fast, and when they started making their way out of the gardens, Ariel was holding a small cluster of flowers to her chest, closing her eyes as she inhaled the mixture of lovely scents. Breha took some time to show Ariel the rest of the grounds surrounding the palace, From their viewpoint, Breha showed Ariel the spaceport that was off in the distance, used for the royal family's and their security's private ships and shuttles, as well as the building that stood off to the west of the grounds. Breha explained that it was used as a training facility for new members of the guard as well as an armory. While they continues on their tour, they made their way back into the palace only to run into someone just inside the doors. It was Torten, the head of security, and the man who had accompanied Bail when he went to see Ariel in her home. At the sight of him, Ariel's smile faded and she stopped her movements, shrinking behind Breha a little. No matter what Bail said to assure her earlier, she still couldn't help but feel frightened by the elder man's stern and gruff presence. The very sight of him made her feel uneasy and her hands trembled slightly as she gazed at him, falling silent almost immediately.

"Your Majesty," Torten greeted, bowing deeply to the queen.

"Torten," Breha said with a smile. "I hope my husband didn't send you off again?"

"Not this time, Milady," Torten replied. "I'm actually in the process of training this young lad, here."

It was only then that Ariel realized there was someone else accompanying Torten. This person turned out to be a young boy, not much older than Ariel herself. He stood maybe a couple inches taller than her, with dark hair that had been cute short with matching eyes that seemed a little big for his face. He stood at attention next to Torten, his hands clasped behind his back, posture straight, and wearing a similar uniform to Torten's, only his was a bluish grey with black boots on his feet.

"This here is Xander, Milday," Torten explained, gesturing down to the boy. "Started at the training facility not too long ago. I was mapping out the ground to him, as he's going to have to memorize it."

"Indeed he will," Breha agreed, smiling kindly down at the young boy. "How are you, Xander?"

"Very well, thank you. Your Majesty," Xander added quickly at the fierce look Torten gave him.

"That is good. Just make sure you mind Torten, even if he seems a bit rough around the edges. He is the finest soldier we have, and you will learn a great deal from him."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Xander said. Breha smiled at him before looking back at Ariel.

"It's okay dear, there's no need to be so shy. Xander, I would like you to meet Ariel, a special guest of my daughter's. Ariel, this is Xander," Breha introduced. "And you already know Torten."

Ariel simply nodded and then looked away from Torten's stern face to gaze at Xander. The boy didn't smile at her or hold his hand out for her to shake, seemingly wanting to copy Torten's movements and gestures. Although his dark brown eyes held mild curiosity as he stared blankly at her. Ariel had been around plenty of boys who lived close to her house, but Xander was by far the most fascinating and odd to say the least. He held himself a bit stiffly, trying to copy his mentor, and even though he was trying to keep his expression neutral, his calculating eyes gave him away. Not quite sure what to say, she settled for giving him a small wave of her hand. Breha and Torten spoke for another minute before it was time for them to part ways, with Torten saying he and Xander had to return to the training facility. As they both walked away, Ariel looked over her shoulder to watch them go.

"Do the guards learn how to fight in the training building?" she asked Breha as they continued walking.

"Yes, they receive special training by our commanding officers, under Torten's supervision," Breha replied. "The boys start rather young, usually a small group of twelve or thirteen year olds, and only a few of them are made members of our own personal guard. Torten himself was made to be my father's bodyguard years ago, and then moved to look after Bail after we were married."

"Oh," Ariel mused. "They must be really special."

Ariel spent the majority of the day with the queen, having a wonderful time walking around the palace and learning so many new and interesting things about it. Eventually they ended up back in the library, where Ariel took the time to look at all the holo books in awe. Breha had asked her if she wanted to read any of them and Ariel was delighted at the idea. While they searched through some of the many isles, Breha had one of her maids take Ariel's bouquet of flowers and go put them in a vase, to be taken to Leia's room. After the maid left with the flowers, Ariel resumed her search until she came upon an interesting guide to the inner rim planets. Besides traveling to Alderran, she had never had any experience in space travel and has always wanted to learn about other planets, whether near or far. Soon enough she and Breha were joined by Bail, who had finished up with whatever business he had to attend to and had come to see how they were doing. Ariel was positively gleeful as she told him everything she and Breha had done, and she thanked them both over and over for their kindness and generosity. While doing this, a sudden thought came to Ariel and she became nervous, not sure how to ask her question.

"Um, Senator Organa?" she said timidly. "Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Ariel?" Bail said.

"I know that I have to go home soon, but, may I…may I come to visit once in a while?" she asked, picking at the hem of her sleeve. "You've all been so nice to me, I can't ever thank you enough, and I would really like to come and play with Leia, if that's all right."

"Of course you may," Breha replied cheerfully. "I don't think we'd have it any other way."

"I agree," Bail said with a nod. "We would most certainly be happy to have you."

"Really?" Ariel said, her face lighting up.

"Really," Bail answered with a chuckle. "Although Ariel, there is something that we'd like to discuss with you, first."

"What about, sir?" Ariel asked.

"Well Ariel, you see Bail and I don't feel very comfortable with leaving you on your own to fend for yourself," Breha explained.

"Oh, it's okay Your Majesty, I'll be all right," Ariel said, shrugging it off, although she was touched that the Organas seemed genuinely concerned for her. "I'll have Snow with me, and I've been doing okay."

"But that doesn't mean it will always be okay, sweetheart," Breha said. "You are still a child, and you can't be left all alone. We were thinking that you need a safe and secure place to stay were you will be looked after."

"There's nowhere for me to go except home," Ariel told them, shaking her head. "Mr. Kudo and I lived in that house ever since we came here, it's the only place I know."

"Mr. Kudo? Was he your guardian?" Bail asked.

"Yes, sir," Ariel replied with a nod. "He's the only one who really cared, and I don't have any family here, not that I know of."

"But if you wanted, you could have a family," Breha said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Ariel said, not sure where the queen was going with this. "I'm very sure I don't have any family members. My mother didn't have any brothers or sisters, and there are no Castors here in the city either."

All of a sudden, Ariel saw that she must have said something wrong because at that moment, Bail and Breha's demeanors instantly changed. Breha gasped ever so quietly, her eyes going wide and her mouth opening slightly as shock and surprise fell across her face. Bail went completely silent, his smile vanishing from his face and his eyes expressing his immense surprise and confusion, as if he wasn't sure he heard her right, and Ariel noticed that his shoulders tensed a little.

"Castor?" he repeated.

"Yes," Ariel said, puzzled. "That's my name—Ariel Castor. Why? Do you think I might have family here, sir?"

Bail didn't answer, still staring at her quietly with an intense gaze that Ariel didn't like. It was as if he was looking at her in an entire new light, and he carefully kept his face indifferent, making the little girl nervous since she couldn't guess what was going on in his mind. Breha was looking back and forth between the two, swallowing her shock and clasping her hands tightly together in front of her, looking completely unsure of what to do or say. It confused Ariel to no end as to why they were acting this way. What did she say that made them start behaving so oddly? This uncomfortable silence lasted longer than Ariel would have liked, and she was about to speak again when she heard the sound of her name being called.

"Ariel!"

Ariel turned around to see Leia entering the library and striding over towards her, beaming. Walking behind her were her two aunts, Leisel and Corela, the both of them frowning in disapproval.

"Leia, do not take such quick, hazardous strides, you're not a Wookie!" Leisel scolded. "A princess moves with grace!"

"I'm sorry Aunt Leisel," Leia said, not sounded the least bit apologetic. "Ariel, do you still want to see the gallery?"

"Oh, yes, please," Ariel said, wanting more than anything to escape from the terribly awkward situation she was currently in with her friend's parents. "I'd really like that."

"Come on, let's go," Leia said happily, taking Ariel's hand and starting to pull her towards the doors. "Aunt Leisel and Aunt Croela will join us, they knew everything about the gallery."

"Now really, Leia…"

"Go ahead, Corela," Breha urged with a small smile. "I'm sure the girls will have a good time with you two."

Corela sighed at this but nodded all the same, abiding her sister's wishes. Without another word, the two aunts left the library with Leia and Ariel following close behind them, with their hands still linked.

"There are so many things in the history gallery, child, I'm positive you will have a great appreciation for them," Corela said.

"Decades of valued knowledge and tradition greater than any treasure," Leisel added. "It all started with our ancestor, General Burro, who came to Alderran with nothing but a handful of credits to his name…"

"And here I thought my history lesson was over," Leia whispered to Ariel, making her giggle. "Did you like the garden?"

"I loved it," Ariel whispered back. "I made a bouquet, and your mother had a maid put it in a vase in your room, and—oh no."

Ariel suddenly realized that she was still holding the holo book that Breha allowed her to borrow, and she wasn't sure is she was allowed to take it outside of the library. What if something were to happen to it? After all Leia and her family had done for her, she didn't want to ruin something that belonged to them. She had been taught to treat other people's property with respect and care.

"What's wrong?" Leia said.

"I'll be right back Leia, I just want to put this back in the library," Ariel said, turning around and starting to walk back down the corridor. "I'll come back to read it once we're done. Go on ahead, I'll catch up to you."

"Okay, see you soon," Leia said. Ariel made her way back down the long corridor quickly, clutching the holo book to her chest. The door leading back into the library had been left adjar from when they left, and just as she was about to open it, the sound of her name made her pause in her movements. For a second she completely forgot that Bail and Breha were still together in the library and they were speaking to one another in low tones, obviously not wanting to be heard. Ariel hesitated outside the door, unsure of what to do. Eavesdropping was rude, and she didn't want to listen in on their private conversation like some sort of spy, but hearing her name spoken had peeked her interest and, without being able to help herself, Ariel leaned in closer.

"Bail, this has to be a coincidence," Breha was saying, her voice anxious. "There's no way Ariel could be…I mean…"

"You and I both know there are no such things as coincidences," Bail said, and Ariel could hear the sound of his boots as he paced back and forth. "She could very well be."

"But how?" Breha said. "You said yourself that Karina —it just couldn't be possible!"

Ariel froze where she stood, the holo book almost falling out of her hands as she heard her mother's name. How did the senator and the queen know her mother's name? Did—did they _know her?_ But how was that possible?

"It was never a garauntee," Bail countered. "The risks were too high, and the possibility so low. I never in my life would have imagined this to happen."

"But couldn't it be someone else?" Breha said.

"How many Castors do you know, Breha? As far as I know, Karina's husband was the only one. I can't believe I didn't realize it earlier…she even looks like her. She has her eyes. I thought she looked familiar when I first saw her, but I didn't realize. And the age is just right, just under twelve years ago."

"Karina went into hiding right after it all happened," Breha said slowly. "No one would have known she had a child. Do you really think that Ariel is her daughter?"

"As much as I might not want it to be true, it appears so," Bail muttered. "Her age, her physical features, no family record…it all makes sense."

"Bail, Ariel is an orphan," Breha said, her voice quivering. "That—that would mean…"

"Yes," Bail confirmed, his voice grave. "Karina is dead."

There was a moment of silence after this and Ariel barely moved from her place outside the door, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she digested everything she just heard.

"Maybe we should have our doctor run a test?" Breha suggested. "Just to be sure?"

"It wouldn't make much of a difference," Bail replied. "She's Karina's child, I'm sure of it."

"What do we do, Bail? I know that we talked about having her stay here, but after this…I don't know. It could be dangerous."

"I know. Having her here would create a bigger risk than we already have with everything else going on. At first I just wanted to repay her, give her something she's probably never had before in her life. But things have changed, now, especially with her becoming friends with Leia. I can't do it, Breha…I can't."

At this point, Ariel had tears streaming down her face in rivers, her lips trembling and the holo book hanging loosely from her fingertips as she backed away from the door, not sure if she could bear hearing any more. The joy she had felt over the past twenty-four hours completely disappeared, replaced with the deepest sorrow and despair she hadn't felt since Mr. Kudo passed away. She was hurt in such a way that she couldn't put into words, and a quiet whimper fell past her lips. Bail and Breha knew her mother based on what she just heard. She didn't know how that was even possible—surely her mother would have mentioned being acquainted with a queen and senator? However, figuring out who she was left a serious impact because now it seemed they wanted nothing to do with her. They said that her being here was dangerous, a risk, and that things have changed. And it sounded as if her becoming friends with Leia was now a bad idea. Why? What did she do wrong? It seemed like they were going to ask her to stay with them…to have her, a scrawny little poor girl stay with the royal family in their palace! The idea was scary and exciting at the same time, and Ariel wasn't sure how she would take it. Yet at this moment, she was sure that any possibility of her staying with the people she came to trust had been tossed out the window.

Was being a Castor such a terrible thing? Was there something about her family that made the Organas changed their opinion of her? What if she was just another one of Bail's charity cases? Taking in a helpless orphan with nothing, giving her everything and being seen as a martyr to the people? He wouldn't do that! He wouldn't get her hopes up like that…would he? So many more negative and heartbreaking thoughts such as these were spinning through her mind, and Ariel's tears doubled, rolling down her cheeks.

 _"They don't want me,"_ she thought to herself. _"Everyone leaves me…everyone leaves…"_

Before she could be discovered, Ariel turned around and started walking away, the holo book slipping past her fingers and falling to the ground. Her heart was hurting so much she couldn't stand it and the tears continued to fall as she made her way through the corridors and towards the entrance to the main lobby. Once she was there, she wasted no time in hurrying through the main doors and out into the sunlight, running away from it all. Away from the hurt, the sadness…and the hope.

BailPOV

"I can't do it Breha…I can't."

Bail turned to look at his wife, his face set and his resolve swelling in his chest. After what they had just learned, there was no way he could possibly act any differently.

"I can't leave her alone," he said slowly. "There no possibly way that I will leave that poor girl to fend for herself in a world where her very life could be at risk. If this is true, and she is Karina's daughter, than I can't turn a blind eye…not after everything she did for us. Ariel has already suffered enough."

There was a moment of silence after he spoke, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Bail himself would have never in his life believed that something like this would happen. When Ariel had told them her name, it was if something had snapped in his mind, and he could suddenly understand why she had seemed familiar to him when he first set eyes on her back in her home. Seeing her now, he could see bright traces of Karina in her face, especially her eyes. They were the same soft green, the same eyes that he had once known to look at everything with courage and pure, uncommon kindness. Ariel was eleven years old, and if the timing was right than that would make her birth very close to a year after…after it all happened. After the Empire rose to power, and his precious Leia was reaching her first year of life. The thought sent his mind racing—what kind of life did Karina and Ariel live? The last he had heard, Karina went into hiding, never to be seen again. In a way he understood, because after all she went through, he could see a need to escape.

Yet now, after all this time, something had brought Ariel to him and his family. His old comrades would say it was the will of the Force. He wasn't sure of that, but whatever it was, it was no mere coincidence that this girl, more than likely the daughter of his old friend, had come across Leia— _Leia,_ of all people—and entered their lives. Ariel had touched them all in some way, despite being with them for such a short period of time, and he recalled the previous night, when he and Breha had discussed the matter of Ariel's living conditions. They had both agreed that Ariel should not return to her old home, with no one there to take care of her. Breha suggested the possibility of maybe having Ariel stay at the palace with them, maybe under Gherta's training, or even to work in the kitchens. It would a safe place for her that was in the palace, and so she and Leia were capable of seeing each other quite often. Bail agreed to the idea, but he stressed that the decision was ultimately Ariel's to make. They wanted to help her and find a solution that was best for her, but he didn't want to force her into something she's not comfortable with. She and Leia have become fast friends already, and she seems to like them, but asking her to live in their home was something completely different. If Ariel decided not to stay, then they would come to some sort of compromise.

Now, after all this, the answer was so very clear to him. Karina Castor was a wonderful and strong person who he had the pleasure of being friends with so long ago. Knowing that she was now dead saddened him greatly, and not knowing the extent of her suffering for all these years was even worse. But now he had a chance to help in a way that he couldn't before. After all Karina had done for him in the past, the least he could so was help her child.

"I agree with you, Bail," Breha said softly, her eyes very bright. "I owe much to Karina. But how can we do this safely? We knew the risks with Leia, but this is different, and you know that."

"Yes, I do," Bail muttered. When he and Breha were blessed with Leia, they knew she would be completely safe as well as loved with them. He would stop any kind of threat that dared to come after his daughter, in any shape or form. Her name alone would hopefully guarantee a secure future. However with Ariel, he knew that he had to tread carefully.

"We can do as you suggested, and have her work here," Bail mused. "Whether it be in the kitchens, a handmaid, whatever would suit her best. That way we can watch over her and keep her safe."

"But Bail, what about her last name?" Breha said. "If the wrong people were to find out—"

"I know," Bail said, a frown coming onto his face. "I think we may have to consider the possibility of having it changed."

"What?" Breha said. "But Bail, how could we ask her to do that? Her name is all she has."

"What other choice is there?" Bail countered. "You said it yourself, if the wrong people knew than her very life could be in danger. I don't like the idea either, love, but it could be the only chance she has."

"Oh, how I wish you were wrong," Breha sighed sadly. "How should we handle this? What do we tell Ariel?"

"As much of the truth as she can handle," Bail replied. "She is still a child, and I will not put the burden of the past on her shoulders if I can help her."

Breha nodded as she stood to her feet, walked over to Bail and enveloped him in a tender embrace. Bail closed his eyes as he encircled his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair and relishing her warmth.

"Everything will be all right," Breha said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself as well as him. "When should we talk to her?"

"After she and Leia return from the gallery," Bail answered. "Hopefully it will give us enough time to figure out exactly what to say."

After another minute the two released each other and Bail smiled softly as he gazed into his wife's eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just thinking about something an old friend said to me once," he said. "He said that something like this doesn't happen just by chance. This would have to be the will of the Force."

"The Force," Breha breathed out with a shake of her head. "Could it really be so cruel and so fortunate at the same time?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that for myself," Bail said. "But whatever it may be, we'll just have to face it together."

Bail and Breha spent a while together in the library, just talking and trying to wrap their minds around what they've learned and what they were planning to do. The senator wasn't sure how long it had been but he was sure a decent amount of time had passed when the shadows from the surrounding furniture started growing. He turned his head as he caught the sound of quickly approaching footsteps coming through the cracked door to the room. He shared a brief glance with Breha, who nodded her head in encouragement. He sighted to himself before holding himself up straighter with his hands clasped behind his back, trying to hide the nervousness he was feeling. No matter how many times he tried to think of what to say, he still wasn't sure how to explain this to Ariel. He was cut off from his thoughts as the doors opened and Leia walked into the room. There was a look of puzzlement and slight worry on her face as she stared around, as if she were looking for something she lost.

"What is it, Leia?" Breha asked.

"I'm looking for Ariel," Leia replied, still looking around the room as if she half expected for her friend to come leaping out from behind one of the shelves.

"Ariel?" Bail said.

"Yes," Leia said, turning her gaze to him. "After we left earlier she realized she forgot to place her holo book back on the shelf, so she came right back to return it. She said she would catch up with us, but she never came back. I think she may have gotten lost, because I can't find her anywhere."

Leia's words hit Bail right in the stomach and his eyes widened as he instantly realized what happened. If Ariel had come back to the library and overheard him and Breha talking, especially in the beginning… _oh no._

"Bail," Breha said, her expression close to horror-struck as she came to the same conclusion he did. "What if she…"

"Breha," Bail said, thinking quickly as he started moving towards the doors. "Tell Gherta and the other handmaids to help Leia continue searching the palace, as well as the guards."

"Where are you going?" Breha said.

"If she's not here, there's only one place she could have gone," he replied.

"Mother, what's going on? Where's Ariel?" he heard Leia say as he walked out of the library and hurriedly began making his way to the main entrance. Once he reached it, he came upon the front doors to see Milo Elvenore standing at his post.

"Senator Organa?" Milo said in surprise as he turned to see Bail rushing towards him.

"Milo, I need your assistance," Bail said, taking the man's shoulder and leading him outside where the clouds have suddenly turned very dark, and in the distance Bail could hear the roll of thunder overhead. "I need you to fetch us a speeder. We're going into the city."

"The city?" Milo said. "But sir, I should probably call Torten—"

"There's no time, son," Bail said. "We need to get going."

Milo looked incredibly confused as to what was going on, but instead of arguing he simply nodded and then went off to get them a speeder. While he waited, Bail looked off down the path that led away from his home and back towards the heart of the city, a worried frown set into his face. Ariel had a good lead, and with this oncoming rain, it might be even harder to spot her in the crowds.

"Please be safe, Ariel," Bail whispered.

 **Please read and review!**


	6. To Love and to Protect

**Hi guys! It's great to have you all here once again, and I'm happy to present to you a brand new chapter to my Star Wars story. I have to be honest, this one may be a little slow-going but still good nonetheless. A great turning point in Ariel's life begins in this chapter, which maps out the rest of her life, and I'm excited to see what you guys think of it. As usual, if there are any questions or concerns, please let me know, and please don't forget to review. I love hearing your opinions/suggestions, it really does help me out. I will upload the next chapter soon, and I would like to thank all who have favorite/follow my story, it really keeps me going. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer** **: All things Star Wars are not mine!**

Chapter Six: To love and to Protect

BailPOV

By the time Bail and Milo had gone through the city, the rain was coming down nice and heavy, hitting the roof of the speeder. The dark clouds above them released a downpour of water that hit everything below in heavy pellets, creating huge puddles and causing most of the residents to head back into their homes to avoid getting wet. Thankfully that made driving a bit easier, but it also made it harder to spot Ariel through the thick curtain of rain. Bail kept an eye out, hoping that Ariel hadn't gotten caught in this terrible weather, all the while berating himself for letting this happen. How could he have been so foolish? He should have made sure the room was secure while having such a serious conversation with Breha. Now Ariel was gone and he was worried he wouldn't be able to find her. He and Milo continued driving, looking in all alleyways and peeking into open buildings.

"Senator, it doesn't look like the weather is letting up anytime soon," Milo informed him. "We can't search for her forever."

"There will be no need," Bail said. "Go along towards the eastern borders, that's where her house is."

Milo nodded and then started driving a little faster, the rain smacking against the speeder as it went. It took a little while but soon Bail found himself in the familiar neighborhood in which Ariel lived. He directed Milo through the streets, trying to remember the exact way he and Torten had took yesterday while trying to find Ariel's home. It took them some time, but when Milo turned around a corner, Bail immediately saw Ariel's house at the end of the road and he pointed it out to Milo. Milo stopped the speeder right outside of the house and Bail let himself out, quickly walking up to the door and rapping at it with his knuckles.

"Ariel?" he called, the rain already starting to soak his clothes as he stood there. "Ariel, are you in there?"

There was no a

nswer from the other side, and Bail tried knocking once again.

"Ariel, please open up," Bail said. "Let me explain…"

"She's not there, senator," called a sudden voice. Bail looked over at the house next door to see an elderly woman leaning through her open window, her white hair pulled back into a tight bun and her sharp gray eyes squinting through the deep wrinkles on her face.

"Not here?" Bail said, moving away from the door. "Where is she?"

"How should I know?" she said in an annoyed, clipped tone. "She came running through here close to a half hour ago, went straight past her house, upset about something. She was heading towards the gates, she could have gone into the forest."

"The forest?"

"Yeah, the old Kodian she lived with is buried out there," the woman said. "No matter how many times I advise against it, she doesn't listen and goes anyway. It'll be her own fault if she comes across one of the beasts in there—"

Bail didn't need to hear any more as he darted back over to the speeder and hurriedly climbed in.

"Where to, sir?" Milo asked.

"Outside the city, into the forest," Bail answered.

"Sir?!" Milo said in surprise, his eyes going wide.

"Yes, now let's get going," Bail said.

"Torten is going to kill me," Milo muttered before turning the speeder back on. In the next second, Bail and Milo were traveling through towards the edge of the neighborhood and in the direction of the eastern gates that would lead beyond the city borders. When they reached it, they wasted no time in flying past, leaving the cobbled streets and glistening building behind for the more rural and luscious green atmosphere of the wood that surrounded the capital city.

"Sir, look," Milo said, pointing out of his window to the ground below. "I think I see footprints in the mud."

Milo rolled down the window and Bail leaned over to see that he was right—there was a small set of footprints leading away from the gate and into a nearby opening into the forest. That's where Ariel must have gone through. Bail directed Milo to follow the trail and the young guard complied, turning the speeder to face the correct direction before taking off, passing through the thick growth of trees. Bail rarely ever wandered out into the forest—in fact this would only be his second time—but he always admired the beauty that surrounded his home. Even in this storm, the trees, puddles, ferns and fallen trunks they passed were such a sight to see, and if it were any other situation, he would take more time to observe and appreciate it all. But for now, he had much more important things to worry about. Once they were actually in the forest, he told Milo to go a bit slower, that way they wouldn't lose sight of the footprints. Making sure to pay special attention, Bail kept his eyes on them as they led through a barely walked path, climbing over stones and criss-crossing their way through thick clumps of branches. As the minutes rolled by and they continued on deeper into the forest, Bail couldn't help but worry. What is Ariel doing, coming out here all by herself? She could get lost, or hurt. He tried to keep his mind from going over all the negative possibilities as he and Milo kept up their search. He wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed, but it didn't appear to be too long before they pushed their way through a cluster of bushes found themselves on the bank of a rather large lake that seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see. Having never come upon this lake before, Bail's eyes traveled the length of it in wonder before his eyes snapped over towards the other end of to his left.

Ariel was sitting at the base of a large, towering tree up ahead in the distance with her back facing him, her knees tucked underneath her, and her hair dripping down her back as her dress stuck to her body.

"Shall I move closer, sir?" Milo asked.

"No," Bail replied. "Just give me a moment."

Milo nodded just as Bail opened his side of the speeder and stepped out, ignore the way his foot sank into the mud as he did. His clothes instantly became wet but he paid no mind to that either as he started making his way along the bank of the lake, walking over to where Ariel was kneeling. By the time he finally reached her, he found himself dripping and unsure of how to approach her. He had made sure to make noise as he walked so as not to alarm her, but she made no indication that she heard him.

"Ariel?" Bail said gently. She didn't answer him and after a few seconds Bail walked a few more feet forward until he was standing next to her. He knelt down to join her on the ground and tried to look at her, but her wet hair hung around her face, hiding her from view.

"Ariel, please talk to me," he said. "Why did you run away?"

"You…you don't want me," Ariel whispered after a moment, and Bail could hear the tears in her voice. "You h-hate me."

"What? Ariel, that's not true," Bail countered. "I do not hate you."

"But you don't want me with Leia, or in your home," Ariel said. "I heard you…you said I was dangerous because I'm a Castor."

"Oh, Ariel," Bail said, his heart heavy and greatly saddened. "I didn't know that you were there. You don't understand—"

"Yes I do," Ariel cut in, harshly, her voice trembling. "You don't like me, you only let me stay because you felt bad for me! I don't need anyone feeling bad for me, or giving me favors. I can do fine by myself. I just wanted to be friends with Leia."

"And you are her friend," Bail stated. "You have no idea how much she cares for you, how much we all care."

"You don't care," Ariel said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself as well as him. "No one does…everyone ends up leaving me."

"Ariel, please listen, and let me explain," Bail asked her, moving his hair out of his eyes and sighing. "You didn't hear the rest of mine and Breha's conversation."

Ariel didn't respond to this, but Bail knew she was listening, somehow. He sighed again before speaking.

"It's true, I was surprised when I heard your full name, but in the way you think. I was surprised because…well, because I believe I know who your mother was. Her name was Karina, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Ariel muttered. "My Mama."

"I thought so," Bail said. "You see Ariel, a long, long time ago, I knew your mother. I haven't heard from her or seen her for years, and when you told me who you were, I instantly thought that you could be her daughter. Your mother was a very good friend to me, and to Breha, and I know that we must have sounded cautious and unsure at first, but then we agreed that your place was with us."

"What—what do you mean?" Ariel asked, finally turning her face to look at him. Bail wasn't sure where the tears mixed in with the rain, but the little girl's eyes were very red and puffy, etched with great sadness.

"Ariel, even before we learned your full name, we knew we wanted you to stay with us," Bail explained. "Leia adores you, as does Breha, and we didn't want to leave you all alone. We were going to offer you a place at the palace, doing whatever you'd like. A new home to call your own, where you and Leia would see each other all the time, and not have to be on your own. We love having you with us Ariel, and, if you want, you can stay with us. Knowing who you are just reaffirmed our decision. We want you somewhere safe, and where you would feel loved."

"But…but I heard you say it would be dangerous to have me, that there were risks," Ariel said, confusion clear in her voice. "What did you mean?"

It was here that Bail hesitated. They were now in the point of the conversation that he desperately wanted to avoid, the same type of conversation he knew he would have to make in the future. What can he say? How can he put it in terms that an eleven-year-old girl would understand? He took a moment to think to himself before speaking.

"As I said, your mother and I were good friends in the past," he began, slowly. "Have you ever heard of the Clone Wars?"

Ariel nodded her head.

"Well, during that time, your mother and I made some enemies, and Karina…she suffered losses that no one could possibly ever understand. Some of those enemies are still around, I'm sure, affiliated within the Empire. Close to the end of the war, Karina ran away to escape from those who wanted to harm her. And you. I believe that she went into hiding to protect you, because if someone bad were to find out who you really are, then you could be in danger."

"And—and anyone who takes care of me?" Ariel said, and Bail could hear the fear she tried to hide.

"Yes," Bail said. "That was why Breha and I agreed that, should you decide to come and live with us, certain precautions would have to take place."

"What precautions?" Ariel asked.

"Well, the main thing is, you would have to change your name. It would be the only way to guarantee your safety," Bail continued at the look on Ariel's face. "I doubt there are much Castors left out there, if any. If the wrong people were to get suspicious, it could be bad, and I don't want anything to happen to you. Also, you would have to keep anything I just told you a secret, no one else could ever know."

The expression on Ariel's face was heart-breaking, and she looked so utterly lost. She returned her gaze to the tree in front of them, becoming silent once again.

"I don't understand," she mumbled. "Why did people want to hurt my Mama? Why…why was she killed?"

"What? Killed?" Bail said in shock.

"The Empire killed her back on our home world, when I was six," Ariel said. "I don't know why."

"Ariel, I…I'm so very sorry," Bail said, his throat feeling tight. "I'm afraid I don't have all the answers as to what happened, but there is more to this than you know. But I'm afraid I can't tell you more, at least not until you are older and can understand."

Bail reached over and placed his hand on Ariel's shoulder.

"Your mother was a beautiful, kind, and brave woman who was dear to me and Breha," Bail told her. "I am very sad that she is gone, but I am also very glad that I had the chance to meet her daughter. You actually remind me a bit of her, and you look like her, too."

"I do?" Ariel asked.

"Yes," Bail answered with a tiny smile. "Especially your eyes. Ariel, I know that this is a lot to take in, and I know there's still so much you want to know. I promise, when the time is right, I will help you to understand it all. Myself and my family enjoy being with you, and we would love it if you would agree to live with us. We would love you and protect you no matter what, and we'll make sure you're never alone again. But if you do not want that, I understand, and I will not be upset. Even if you choose to go home, just know that I will still look out for you, and be there if you should ever need anything. It's up to you."

There was a period of silence after he spoke, and Bail waited patiently while Ariel sat next to him, lost in her thoughts. The rain continued pouring down on them, soaking them to the bone, but Bail didn't care. He had meant what he said to Ariel. Even if she chose not to stay with him and his family, he would make sure she was well taken care of. That's the least he could do for her. After a little while, Ariel turned her gaze back over to him and she wrung her hands in her lap, appearing nervous.

"You really want me with you?" she asked.

"Yes," Bail said with a nod of his head. Ariel was quiet for a few more seconds before she sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll come back."

Bail smiled at her, feeling incredibly happy and relieved. A sense of enthusiastic joy and tenderness overcame him, and he made a silent vow that he would do everything in his power to care for and protect Ariel as well as Leia. Always. He moved his sight to the tree that stood before them and he was surprised to see that there was a stone placed at the base of it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it wasn't just a stone—it was a grave marker. Across the stone were the words, _Kudo Barren, Brave Warrior and Beloved Friend._ Bail suddenly realized that this was the burial site of Ariel's guardian. How could he not have noticed it before?

"Is this your guardian's grave?" Bail said.

"Yes," Ariel replied with another sniff. "We used to come here almost every day together. It was our favorite place."

"Well, whenever you want to visit him, I'll bring you here," Bail said. "Would you like that?"

"Yes please, sir," Ariel said, and for the first time since finding her, Bail saw a smile creep into the corners of her mouth. After a couple more minutes, both Bail and Ariel stood to their feet and he led her back over to the speeder, where Milo was still waiting for them. Within the next minute, they were once again heading off to the palace, with Ariel tucked into his side.

ArielPOV

When Ariel, Bail and Milo were back at the palace, she was instantly pulled into a tight hug by Leia and fretted over by Breha. She was touched that the princess and her mother were so concerned for her, and also ashamed for leaving the way she did. She apologized to the both of them, and heard Bail give Leia a brief explanation, telling her that Ariel misunderstood when he and Breha talked about having her stay with them at the palace from now on. It was true, but as Ariel now knew, there was more to it that was best kept on the low for the time being. Although Leia was positively thrilled at the thought of having Ariel stay with them, so the two girls could see each other and play together all the time. The rest of night was spent with Ariel and the Organas sitting together by a cozy fire just talking. When it was time for bed, Ariel once again slept in Leia's room with her, until Breha could have another room set up for her.

"Where do you think your parents will have me?" Ariel asked as she slipped into her nightgown.

"I'm sure they will place you wherever you are most comfortable," Leia replied as she sat on the bed, stroking Snow's back. "I know mother suggested having you as my personal handmaiden, but I don't want you serving under me like that."

"I really wouldn't mind, Leia," Ariel said.

"But I would. No friend of mine will be my servant in any shape or form," Leia stated. "Maybe you could be a pilot to one of our ships! We could take so many trips together."

"I don't know, I've never really been one for flying a ship," Ariel said. "Maybe I could work in the kitchens?"

"We would rarely get to see each other though," Leia pointed out. "Some of the meals take hours to prepare, especially when Father hosts gatherings at the palace. There has to be something here that you can do. Are you interested in anything specific?"

Ariel hummed in thought as she walked over to the entrance to the balcony, staring out through the rain to the vast land that covered the grounds of the palace. She took notice of the small port that held the royal family's personal ships. Perhaps she could learn to deal with it and be a pilot? Flying through space sounded like a nice job to have, and she could travel to so many different systems with the Organas. She also remembered the beautiful gardens that Queen Breha showed her earlier that morning, and the thought of tending to the gardens crossed her mind as well. But she hasn't tended to any kind of plants since she was back on the farm with her mother, so she wasn't sure if she'd be any good at it. The queen's flowers were so lovely; she didn't want to do anything that could hurt them. Ariel stood there for a moment before her eyesight landed on something else. She stared out at a distant building, it's shadow visible even through the rain and her eyes widened.

 _That's it! It's perfect!_

"Ariel?" Leia said.

"I think I might know what I want to do…"

…

The next day, Ariel found herself staring up at the huge building that housed members of the royal guard and she was nearly shaking in her boots. She gazed up at it with wide, fearful eyes, trying to hold on to some of the courage she had built up in herself just the previous night. This morning it started to waver a bit, so she had gotten dressed as quickly as she could before she lost her nerve, telling Leia she would be back soon. She had told the princess about her plan last night, and needless to say Leia was definitely surprised. No female has ever attempted this before, and she expressed her concerns to Ariel about it. Yet Ariel insisted that this position would be perfect for her, and it was something she could see herself dedicating her life to. When she had left the palace, she asked Leia not to mention anything to her parents before she got back. Even if Bail and Breha agreed to this, there was one person she needed permission from before having the royal family give the final word on it. She looked up at the building for another moment before taking a deep breath and stepping through the main entrance.

What awaited her on the other side was a large and brightly lit lobby area, held together with pillars that stretched up to the ceiling. There were many windows, allowing the sunlight to come streaming through, and there were also holo pictures on the walls that held what looked like faces of past soldiers and generals. There were a few members of the guard scattered about, talking amongst themselves although they paused briefly to stare at Ariel as she made her way deeper into the room, her green eyes taking in everything with caution and awe.

"Ariel?"

Ariel looked over to see Milo coming from a side door with a data pad in his hand, surprise on his face as he caught sight of her. Thankful at seeing a familiar face, Ariel hurried over to him and stood with her head held high, trying her best to not let her nerves show.

"Hello, Mr. Elvenore," she greeted. "I would like to see Mr. Torten, please."

"Torten?" Milo repeated. "He's in the middle of training right now."

"Please sir, it's important," Ariel insisted. "It can't wait."

"Ariel, Torten is busy right now," Milo explained in a patient voice. "I will tell him you were here, and you can stop by later."

"But I can't wait until later," Ariel argued, knowing that if she wanted, she would be sure to lose her nerve and back out. "Please, I—"

"What's all the ruckus out here?"

Both Ariel and Milo turned around to see Torten himself coming through the same side door, and by his side was the boy Ariel had seen with him yesterday. What was his name again? Xander? Torten came over to them with his usual deep scowl on his face, his eyes sharp and shining with irritation as he observed them all. The sight of him made Ariel quiver, but she knew she had to do this. Before she could get too scared, she strode past Milo, walked straight up to the captain with her hands balled up into fists at her side and forced herself to look at him in the eye.

"Mr. Torten, I want to train to become a member of the royal guard."

There was absolute silence after she spoke, not even a whisper drifting in the air. Ariel knew that Milo, along with the other guard members around them was sure to be staring at her with various looks of surprise and disbelief, but she kept her gaze on Torten. His expression barely changed at her bold declaration—there was only a twitch of his lips and his eyebrows furrowed, making him almost look angry.

"Is that so?" he said. "What makes you think you can demand to be trained as a member? What gives you the right?"

"N-nothing," Ariel said, faltering slightly under his piercing stare. "But it's something I want to do, and I want you to teach me!"

"Ariel!" Milo said.

"No, Elvenore, let her speak," Torten ordered, his glare narrowing. "You want me as a teacher? Why in the world should I teach you?"

"Because…because out of everyone here, you're the only one I'm scared of," Ariel replied. "You terrify me, sir, but my guardian said that you should always face whatever or whoever you're afraid of, and learn from them."

"We do not train women, girl!" Torten snapped. "This facility is for men only."

"I can fight!" Ariel protested, some of her courage returning to her. "And I will work hard to prove myself."

"It's not some walk in the park, you need nerve, skill, and strength to get through this program."

"I will work harder than any man here!" Ariel said, a spark in her eyes as her lips thinned. "I'm not weak!"

"Really, now? Then prove it," Torten said, turning to Xander. "Gully, show her how we handle things here."

"But sir—"

" _Now, Gully."_

Xander looked positively torn for a moment, his dark brown eyes going from Torten to Ariel a few times. Eventually he sighed and then before Ariel could blink, he was striding swiftly towards her and in the next second, she was roughly pushed to the ground, landing on her rear and letting out a surprised "Oof!" She didn't even have time to register what had happened before Xander came at her again with a raised fist, and she had to quickly roll out of the way so as not to be struck. She hurriedly scrambled to her feet only to back away as Xander moved towards her. He started throwing hits at her, and while Ariel could dodge a few of them, he still managed to get her in the abdomen area as well as her arms, causing her to grunt in pain. There was power in his hits, and he moved so quick she couldn't keep up. This went on for about a minute before she was once again shoved roughly to the ground, hitting her knee painfully as she fell. Her sides and arms were beginning to hurt and she stared up at Xander, who finally ceased his attacks.

"Just stay down," he said to her. "You're going to end up getting hurt, anyway."

Ariel's eyes flashed at his words, and she grit her teeth. Taking a deep breath, she ignored her pain and got back up to her feet, charging at Xander with a loud cry. She tackled him to the ground, punching his sides and for a moment the two of them rolled around on the floor. She shoved him off of her and hastily got to her feet, but not for long. Xander swung his foot around to trip her, sending her back down on the ground and before she knew it, he grabbed hold of her hand and twisted it back, pinning her in place. Ariel cried out in pain but she wouldn't give up, continuing to struggle and get out of his hold. However Xander pulled on her arms just slightly and pressed his weight down into her, finally causing her to cease in her movements.

"Enough, Gully," Torten instructed. Xander let go of Ariel's arm and stood up. For a little bit Ariel just laid there, breathing deeply and cringing at the pain in her side.

"Had enough yet, girl?" Torten said. In response to this, Aril set her jaw as she tenderly stood up straight from the ground, holding back a whimper. Once she was upright, she glared at Torten fiercely.

"Is that the best you've got, sir?" she asked. She heard the murmur of admiration from her specters and her heart was pounding in her chest with exhilaration. She would not give up on this. Not now, not ever! Even if she spent years convincing him, Ariel would accomplish this!

"Why do you want this so much, Ariel?" Milo said in wonder.

"The guard protects the royal family with their lives," Ariel said boldly. "They devote themselves to them, I saw the way you and Mr. Torten stayed by the senator's side. The Organas have taken me in, they're willing to watch over me and care for me. I want to repay them by making sure _they_ are watched over and protected. They have done so much for me, and given me something I haven't had in a long time. In return, I will learn how to fight and protect them. I will make sure nothing ever hurts them. Ever."

Everyone stared at Ariel as she spoke, and she had never before felt so brave. Just from the look on her face, they knew she would never back down from this. Torten's expression remained the same as he stared at her, and after what felt like forever, he grunted.

"There is a beginner's session that every new initiate goes through when they come here," he said. "We like to think of them as pre-trials. In order for me and the other heads to even consider this, you need to prove you can survive them. You would receive no special treatment, you would be given the same instruction as any man or boy who comes through here. Should the senator and queen agree, you would live here, in separate quarters of course, no fancy luxuries at the palace. This is not something you can walk away from—it's a lifelong service. If I hear one complaint, one whine, or if you prove to be incompetent, you will be removed before you are considered for higher courses of training. Do I make myself clear, girl?"

"Yes sir," Ariel answered, no hesitation or quiver in her voice.

"Good, now get out of here and take care of your arms before they start to bruise," Torten ordered. "Be back here in two days' time at dawn for the pre-trials, and don't you dare be late."

Ariel nodded her head vigorously before turning on her heel and bolting out of the lobby as fast as her feet would take her, running out of the main door and then up the path that led back to the palace.

…

"Ariel, are you sure this is what you really want?" Breha asked, a little apprehensively.

"Yes, your Majesty," Ariel answered, determined. "I truly do want this."

"Well, if you say so, then we will respect and abide by it," Bail stated, giving her a smile. "Your training sessions will take up most of the day, but Leia will be in her lessons during that time, so it won't be too bad."

"And let me know if Torten is mean to you," Leia put in sternly.

"I'll be okay, Leia," Ariel told her, giggling as Snow jumped up into her lap, demanding to be pet.

"Now, since that is all settled," Bail said, taking on a more serious tone. "Ariel, Leia, you both know that for safety reasons, Ariel's name cannot be known. I will have the proper documentation taken care of should the time call for it, but you will have to be known by another name, Ariel. Have you thought about what you would like it to be?"

Ariel was silent for a minute, going into thought. She really didn't like the idea of changing her name at all, but if Bail was right, then it would be safer for her and for everyone if it was different. She tried to think of something that she liked, something she wouldn't forget. All of a sudden, her morning walk with Breha in the gardens came to mind, and it hit her. She looked back up at Bail and nodded her head, feeling bittersweet about her decision.

"Lotus," she said, remembering her favorite beautiful and deadly flower in the garden. "Ariel Lotus."

 **So, what do you guys think? I know I have Torten and others seem kind of sexist, but I did that on purpose because I know around the time "A New Hope" came out there were not very many strong female leads in movies, and Carrie Fisher played one of the first ones as the iconic Princess Leia. I wanted to input that kind of scenario in my story, for Ariel to push through other's expectations and prove she is just as strong in what she sets her mind to. There are other reasons, of course, but it will be revealed in later chapters. I really hope you all liked this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one.**


	7. A Peek Into the Past

**Disclaimer: All thing Star Wars are not mine!**

Chapter Seven: A Peek Into the Past

 _ **Four Years Later…**_

ArielPOV

"Again!"

Ariel shot up to her feet once more as the revolving droid continued firing off blast after blast around the room, impacting the surrounding walls and leaving scorch marks. Ariel blew a strand of hair out of her face as she maneuvered herself around the room, expertly dodging the blasts as she jumped, roles and ducked, her senses on high alert the entire time. The droid kept firing and there was one point where it missed the top of Ariel's head by mere inches and she had to duck behind a metal crate in order to avoid the next one. Breathing raggedly, Ariel's eyes scanned the room and when she saw her perfect opening, she jumped out, did a front flip and the hoisted herself up onto a duvet in the flooring. Soon she found herself leaping through the air, missing the red beams of light as she landed on her hands and knees on top of the revolving droid. Without a moment's hesitation, she withdrew her metal staff from the sling across her back, held it high and then brought it crashing down through the surface of the droid and ramming its main circuits. All at once the droid ceased firing, and electric sparks starting shooting out of it as it went haywire. Soon enough the top head of the droid exploded and Ariel was thrown off her feet from the impact of it, landing on her side on the floor. It was quiet for a moment except for the sounds of Ariel's deep breathing and she smiled at the sight of the simmering scrap of metal.

 _Third time's the charm._

As she got back to her feet, Ariel saw the lights above the window high against the far wall light up to reveal a small group of men observing her through the glass. She stood straight at attention with her hands at her sides, ignoring the slight soreness in her muscles as she gazes at her superiors with determination and respect. One of the men, staring down at her with his usual stern and fierce glare was her mentor and instructor, Torten. He was observing with two other high ranking members of the guard, one of which was Milo Elvenore. Ariel had to suppress an amused smirk as she remembered the day Milo was promoted to Totten's right hand man, basically. His expression was a mixture of pride, enthusiasm, but also terror at the idea of working side by side with Alderran's most feared and respected general. Torten was a force to be reckoned with, and it takes a brave soul to willingly stand by him.

"Well, Lotus," Torten said with his deep frown. "You've finally gotten the hang of using your surroundings to your advantage."

"Thank you, sir," Ariel said, knowing that this was Torten's version of a compliment.

"That will be enough for this exercise, you may go," the third man, Mr. Bolen said. Ariel bowed her head to them before taking her leave through the door, placing her staff back in the sling on her back. Once she left, she let out a sigh of relief as she started walking through the corridors, feeling a bit proud of herself. This exercise was one of the tougher ones, but she managed to get through it. Her heart was still beating rather fast, but she was still able to smile a little as she walked, feeling the way she always did when finishing an exercise or a hard day's worth of training. No matter how difficult an obstacle seemed, if she pushed through it, she knew she would be able to overcome it. She kept smiling to herself as she continued walking, pondering over what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Leia was currently in her last lesson of the day at the University of Alderran, so it will be a little while before she would be able to see her, and Queen Breha was in an important meeting with her council, along with Bail. The Organas made it clear to her that she could come and visit whenever she liked, and while she didn't want to take advantage of her privileges, she took them up on their offer, as their hectic schedules made it hard for her to see them as often as she liked. But when she did, she always had a pleasant, fun time, especially with Leia. The two girls would always find something new to explore and would spend much of their time on the grounds or in the library. Ariel savored these moments, but she understood that they couldn't happen all the time.

Which still left the question of what she should do for the time being. After thinking for a couple minutes, an idea suddenly came to her and she smiled as she started making her way down to the training gym. When she finally got there, she walked through the doors to see that there was a bunch of boys and men there already, training by themselves or as a part of a group. Some were practicing hand-to-hand combat, others were doing laps around the perimeter of the gym, and others were coming g in and out of the side building connected to the gym that was where they practiced shooting their blasters. Ariel glanced around before going over to a secluded corner of the gym. Some of the boys called out to her in greeting, while others nodded their heads and some just ignored her completely. Ariel rolled her eyes, too used to this to care. When she had first started training at this facility, it was clear to see she wasn't welcome by almost the whole male population. In their eyes, a girl had no business doing what they were doing.

However, Ariel was more than happy to prove them wrong. She spent years laboring under her instructor's orders, going through back breaking exercises, and completing her weapons training in all kinds of weather, under any circumstances. Over time, when she showed them all that she had no intention of quitting or leaving, she started to gain some respect from her fellow classmates as well as a few of her instructors. Thanks to her determination, she was now one of the most skilled in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. She knew she still had a lot more to learn, but she was determined to see it all the way through despite those who still saw her as a weakling, or a nuisance.

When she reached her corner, she set up one of the stand-up dummies for her to practice on and once it was upright, she took hold of her staff again in both hands and then started slowly circling the dummy, her face set as she pretended that it was an actual opponent. Then, without a moment's hesitation she charged forward and struck the dummy in one of its most vulnerable spots before spinning around quickly and striking it in the back of the head. For a few minutes Ariel kept up with this, hitting the dummy in places that would surely leave a real human being on the ground in pain. She gave the dummy a few more hits before she suddenly had a strange feeling pass over her…a feeling like she was being closely watched. Ariel heard the sound of soft yet quick footsteps coming towards her and out of pure instinct she spun around, gripping her staff with both hands as she brought it straight up just in time to block the blow from another staff similar to hers before it came crashing down on her. Ariel looked to see the familiar face of her attacker, his lips pulled into a grin.

"Nice block, Lotus," Xander commented. "But you shouldn't leave your mid-section open like that."

As if to back up his statement, Xander raised his foot to strike Ariel in the stomach, but she managed to quickly side step to the left, twisting his staff away from hers and then moved lightning fast to use her foot to kick out his leg from under him, making him fall to the ground.

"And you should know better than to lower your defenses," Ariel replied as she went to strike him with her staff, only to have him block it and then roll over onto his side before shooting back up to his feet. The two of them stood off against each other, slowly moving around one another and never breaking eye contact. At this point they had gained the attention of some of the other trainees around them, who had stopped what they were doing in order to watch them. After about another minute of silent circling, Ariel tightened her grip on her staff and then charged over towards Xander her face set with determination. She aimed her weapon at all the best spots on his body, but he managed to block her blow for blow. They continued this dance for some time, moving around the gym while taking turns defending and attacking. At one point Xander managed to surprise Ariel with a hit to her side, and she was distracted enough so that he was able to smack her staff out of her hands. Without her weapon in hand, he swung his own at her but Ariel managed to duck and then began doing backflips in the opposite direction, with Xander swinging his staff expertly as he went after her.

When Ariel made it to the far wall, she gained enough momentum to make a great leap and snatch an old electric rod that was hanging on display before landing back on her feet. It wasn't nearly as long or easily manageable as her precious staff, but it could bestow a painful blow if the rod was at its highest setting. She made her way back over to Xander where the two of them spun around and clashed their weapons together, with Ariel's emitting tiny electric sparks. They fought for a couple more minutes until Xander had backed Ariel up against the wall and in a clever move, had pinned the hand holding the rod to it, while holding her other wrist tightly in his. Ariel was breathing very heavily at this point, her heart thumping rapidly in her chest as she stated up into Xander's face, which was extremely close to hers. He had a smirk on his lips as he looked down at her.

"What are you going to do now, Lotus?" he asked her. Ariel gave him a smirk of her own, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"This."

Without another word, she raised her knee and then struck him where the sun most definitely didn't shine. Xander let out a loud, sharp sound that was a mixture of a squeal and a groan as he released her hands immediately and went to cover his private area, falling down onto his knees. Ariel heard a couple of the other boys laugh at his expense and she looked around to see that they had a decent audience.

"Way to go Xander," Hune snorted. "That's the second time this week she got you."

Xander only grunted at him, but Ariel was sure there was in insult somewhere in there. She simply rolled her eyes before turning off the rod and staring down at Xander with an amused smile.

"Better luck next time, Gully," she said. Then she turned and left him there on the ground, deciding that that was a good place to end practice for the day. She could still hear a couple chuckles as she left and someone offering a hand to Xander to help him off of the ground. She left the gym with a small smile on her face, but it was bittersweet. While she had enjoyed their little sparring session, she didn't like how much she enjoyed it. Xander was so annoying, cocky, and irksome, thinking he's the greatest thing since instant bread. He was a brilliant fighter, there's no doubt about it, and she can see him becoming a fantastic leader in the future is he would just deflate his head a bit. On the other hand, his face alone of enough to make her grit her teeth, and dark memories would always resurface in her kind whenever she saw him. Memories of dark, cold nights, sneering faces, cruel laughter, deep waters, and a gut wrenching sorrow that gripped at her heart whenever she thought of it.

 _No, stop it Ariel. It's been years, and you know he's sorry._

However, no matter what Ariel did, the memory was still there, and she wasn't sure if she could ever truly forget it. She sighed to herself as she made her way out of the building and over towards the west end of the grounds of the palace, where there was a small hovel that belonged to one of the old gardeners who worked in Queen Breha's lovely garden before they passed away. It was a bit of a walk from the training facility, but Ariel didn't mind, and it was the best they could do, seeing as having her share quarters with the other boys was out of the question, and she didn't want to have the luxury of living in the main palace while her classmates lived in more simple dorms. Besides, it was a cozy little place Ariel could call her own, and she thought it was suited perfectly in between the palace and the training building. By the time she reached her hovel, the sun was beginning to make it's decent in the sky, and Ariel decided to make herself something to eat.

A half hour later she was sitting at her little table with an empty bowl in front of her that once held delicious soup in it, and she sighed as she sat back with a content smile on her face. Once she was all finished, she placed her bowl into the sink and then walked through the door that led into the small space in the back which she used for her room. She set her staff over by dresser where she kept her blaster hidden. Out of all the weapons she had been trained with, Ariel was mostly fond of and more skilled with her staff rather than a blaster. It suited her better, and while blasters could get messy at times, her staff was clean and quick, especially if you wanted to take down an enemy quietly. This staff in particular had been something of a gift from Torten, who insisted that it was just an old used up model she would have to make due with. Nonetheless, Ariel saw it as a cherished gift, and she has been using it ever since he gave it to her. When her weapons were safely set to the side, she sat down on the floor with her back pressed up against her bed, crossed her legs, placed her hands on her knees, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, allowing her tense muscles to relax, and feeling her mind empty, becoming much more at ease and she removed all thoughts. After a few more breaths, she could feel herself become calmer and almost peaceful, basking in the quiet that surrounded her.

" _Remember, dear Ariel, the Force flows through us, binds us, and is a part of who we are. Feel it, and allow it to calm your spirit, and help you find peace within yourself."_

The words of her beloved guardian came back to her as though he had only spoken them yesterday. Ariel knew he was connected to the Force while she was not, but that didn't stop him from helping her find her own strength from it. He had once told her that you didn't need to be Force-sensitive in order to learn from it, and that made her feel more connected with him, especially during the times when she felt she needed his guidance the most. Ariel concentrated on putting herself at ease and vanishing any stressful or negative thoughts she had. She imagined placing strong walls made of stone around d her mind, keeping away any intruders and keeping her emotions to herself. She wanted to make sure she continued strengthening her mind, as Mr. Kudo had wanted. For a little while, Ariel sat there in deep meditation, thinking of nothing but her breathing and listening to the light breeze that blew in from the window to her room. She didn't know how long exactly she sat there, but after some time she heard a knock at her door. Feeling refreshed, Ariel got up to her feet and made her way to the front door, looking through the peephole. What she saw made her grin and she eagerly opened the door to reveal a smiling Bail Organa holding Snow in his hands.

"Viceroy Organa," Ariel greeting with a bow, her smile still on her face. "It's a great pleasure to see you, as always."

"Ariel, how many times must I tell you? There are no formalities here," Bail said, shifting Snow in one hand and using the other to give her an affectionate tap on her nose. "When it's just us, it's Bail."

"Bail," Ariel said, nodding. "Please, come in. Snow, I was wondering where you went off to."

"Breha found her in the gardens again," Bail chuckled as he stepped inside the house and handed her off to Ariel. "She was asleep in the flower beds."

"Really Snow, what was the sense in me making you a bed in my room?" Ariel muttered to her precious pet, nuzzling her face into Snow's fur while the Loth-Cat made a quiet noise of content. "Would you like some tea, Bail?"

"That would be great, thank you," Bail replied as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "How are you doing, Ariel?"

"I'm very well, thank you," Ariel answered as she placed Snow down next to her and then went over to the stove to make some tea.

"Everything is going well at the training grounds I hope?" Bail asked.

"Better than good," Ariel said. "Torten won't admit it, but I think he's impressed with me."

"If he wasn't then I'm sure he wouldn't have kept you on for so long," Bail laughed. "And he should very well be, anyway. You are a talented fighter, Ariel."

"There are others more advanced than I am," Ariel said.

"Don't be so modest, I've seen you during your training sessions," Bail told her. "You've come such a long way from where you started, and you're one of the top students in your class. If you keep working like you are now, I know good things will come from it. I'm very proud of you, Ariel. We all are."

"Thank you, Bail," Ariel said softly with her back to him, smiling as she felt her heart swell at his sincere words. "I want to become strong so that I can be worthy to be considered for the royal personal guard."

"I know Leia wouldn't have it any other way," Bail said. "The two of you are as thick as thieves, I can't imagine how boring she would claim her life to be if she couldn't see you on a regular basis."

"It's more than that, sir," Ariel admitted as she turned around to face him. "You all have given me so much, more than I could ever ask for. I want to repay it the best way I can."

"Ariel, you are practically a member of our family," Bail insisted. "You do not need to repay us with anything."

"Forgive me, but I do," Ariel argued sincerely. "You…you all mean so much to me. The least I can do is make sure no harm comes to you, Leia, or the queen. I want to keep you all safe."

Bail was silent for a moment while Ariel turned back to the teapot, pulling out some cups from the cabinet and adding the tea leaves she picked from the nearby brushes close to her house. She could feel her eyes water slightly from her emotional declaration, but she held back any tears that threatened to fall. Crying is a sign of weakness, and she had to learn not to let her feelings get in the way. If she was to be an honorary warrior and member of the Alderran guard, she could not cry or be sensitive to certain topics. Once the water was ready, Ariel turned off the teapot and began pouring it into the cups.

"You are so much like your mother, it amazes me," Bail mumbled quietly. This made Ariel pause in her movements and she took a slow breath as she turned to look at Bail.

"Please, tell me something else about her?" Ariel asked him. Bail smiled at her.

"You're mother was a gentle soul, but also fearless," he said. "One moment she would be caring for an injured clone, and then the next she would be picking up a blaster to defend the medical base."

"Where was she stationed during the war?" Ariel asked curiously.

"She completed her apprenticeship on Coruscant about a year before it started, then she was transferred to wherever she was needed," Bail replied. "Karina was acknowledged in many forms of healing, which was why she was favored to treat the wounded on the more important bases controlled by the Republic. There was one time when the Seperatists attacked the medical center she was stationed at in the Nessel system, and she helped hold off the attack until her patients could be moved to safety."

"Wow," Ariel whispered, bringing the cups of tea over to the table and placing Bail's in front of him while taking the seat next to him. "I feel like there's so much I never knew about her."

"The war was a terrible time for many," Bail said. "It's something no one really likes to talk about, especially those directly involved and seeing the damage firsthand, like your mother. I'm sure she would have explained it to you when you were older, if she had gotten the chance."

"I suppose," Ariel said. "I'm not sure how I can be like her though. She healed people—I'm training to hurt them."

"No," Bail countered. "You are being trained in self-defense, and I know you Ariel, you don't like to hurt anybody if you can avoid it. Even when you give it your all, you never set out to truly harm or maim someone, preferring to disable or render unconscious, especially when it comes to certain boys in your class."

"But it's our job to do what it takes to fulfill our duty," Ariel said, ignoring that last comment.

"But you are not the kind of person to take a life in cold blood just because you could," Bail said.

"I would never do that," Ariel said fiercely. "There are too many monsters like that in the galaxy, and I refuse to be one of them."

"I know that, because you are a good person, and Torten has trained you well to think like that. He's very hard and stern, but he is not a heartless beast. He knows when to show mercy when the time calls for it. And as for being like your mother, it's true you chose a different path than her, but there are other things too. You're very kind hearted, you know what you stand for, and those you consider family come above all else. You are her, and so much more."

Ariel couldn't help but smile at this as she blew into her cup of tea before taking a small sip.

"Thank you, Bail," she said. "I want to make her proud by finishing my final trials next year."

"You never know, maybe you will get to take them early," Bail said with a smile.

"I doubt that," Ariel countered. "I just hope they don't go easy on me."

"They never have," Bail noted. "He will never admit it himself, but you are one of Torten's best students."

"I hope he never admits it, because I will start to think he likes me," Ariel chuckled, making Bail laugh as well. The two of them spent some time talking and drinking their tea, enjoying each other's company. Time passed by very easily, and at some point during their conversation they were surprised by the door suddenly opening and another guest striding through, her long dark hair pulled into two buns on the sides of her head, and her eyes bright as she stared around until her gaze finally fell upon them.

"Father. Ariel," Leia said happily as she entered the room.

"Leia," Ariel greeted with a broad smile as she stood up from her chair and went over towards the princess. Leia wasted no time in hugging her friend, and Ariel hugged her back, her smile never leaving her face.

"Leia, where is Madame Vesta?" Bail asked with a raised eyebrow, referring to Leia's teacher who was instructing her along with her aunts in the ways of behaving like a lady and princess.

"The last time I saw her she was walking along the west wing, Father," Leia replied innocently, but Ariel smirked, knowing Leia all too well to know that more than likely the princess left her there searching for her while she made her way down here to visit. From the look on Bail's face, he knew as well but he didn't say anything more on it as he finished his tea and stood to his feet as well.

"Well, I should probably take my leave, then," he said. "I know when the two of you are together there's no room for your withered, boring old man."

"Father, you are anything but withered," Leia insisted.

"Either way, I know you girls haven't seen each other in some time, so I'll just see my way out," Bail said. As he walked past, he dropped a kiss on Leia's head before he left through the front door. When he was gone, Ariel turned to Leia, her own eyes also bright.

"So, why did you leave Madame Vesta wandering around?" she asked.

"They wanted to stuff me in some other ridiculous puffed out gowns for the dinner Father is having next week," Leia answered with an eye roll. "I've tried telling them I like my white ones just fine, but it's like they don't hear me sometimes."

"They're just thinking about you," Ariel reminded her. "Typically your white dresses are not for such grand parties, but you have really been typical."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Leia said.

"How was your lessons at the University? And the trip your class made to the southern regions of the planet?" Ariel asked eagerly as she took Leia hand and led her over to the table she and her father were sitting at. "You must tell me everything."

"Only if you tell me of how you put those boys in their place today," Leia said with a grin.

"As you wish, Senator Organa," Ariel teased.

"Ariel—"

"Leia, you and I both know that it's going to happen someday," Ariel cut in before Leia could argue against it. "This is what you're passionate about, you have a reasonable head on your shoulders and a strength and wisdom that could lead millions. There is nothing to be nervous about, I know when the time comes you will be elected, and Alderran will have yet another great Senator leading it."

"How can you be so sure?" Leia asked. "I want this, I truly do, I want to do what is best for Alderran as well as others. Being in a position in the Imperial Court will help make my observations and input know, to try and make things better."

"And that is why you will win the election," Ariel stated confidently. "You are going to make such a difference Leia, I know it."

….

That night found Ariel and Leia sitting together in the library, looking over old holo-books and still chatting with each other. After spending some time in Ariel's home, the two young girls walked back to the palace in time for Leia to have late-meal with her parents. They had extended the invitation to Ariel, who generously accepted. Once she became an official member of the guard, such pleasantries like having late-meal with the royal family will become almost scarce, so she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could. Once late-meal was over, the girls decided to spend some time in the library before Ariel had to return to her house for the night. The main objective was to find material to help Leia with her history class at the university, but as per usual, they became just a little distracted with other holo-books that caught their eye. Bail usually liked to have his library updated, so there was usually new material to read every few weeks or so. Ariel herself was currently looking through a new section of history holo-books in the back east wing of the library that dated back to the Clone Wars. Her eyes scanned through the shelves, looking at the different recordings as well as the texts, marveled at just how many there were. Soon enough she came across one that was labeled _"Speeches Involving the Sheltering of the Outer Rims."_ Curious, Ariel took it along with some others she had found and brought them back towards the table where she and Leia were currently seated. As she took her seta she saw Leia came out from between two aisles with her arms laden with holo-books.

"Leia, what are you doing with so many holo-books?" Ariel giggled. "I left you alone for only two minutes!"

"I found these in the very back section of the library," Leia replied as she sat down opposite of Ariel. "Towards the south side wing."

"What? Leia you know we're supposed to ask for permission for access to those holo recordings," Ariel said.

"Father says if I'm going to take his place as Senator I'll need to understand past issues as well as the present and future," Leia explained. "History is one of my favorite lessons in the university, and the best way to shape the future is to learn from the past. The empire wants most things about the Clone Wars under strict supervision, I'm surprised Father was even able to get his hands on these."

"Let's just hope that the Empire doesn't find out," Ariel stated worriedly. "I'd hate to see him get into trouble."

"The Empire can't make a fuss of something they don't know is here," Leia said with a reassuring tone. "And I'm sure Father won't mind if we look at these for studying purposes. He's had them for a while and he says we can look at anything in here."

"To a certain extent," Ariel reminded before biting her lip. "Although I am curious as to why the Empire doesn't like people delving into it."

"We'll just look at a few," Leia said with a gleam in her eyes. Ariel looked around to make sure they were really alone before nodding her head with a smile.

"I found something involving the Cone Wars as well," she said, holding out the holo-book she had been looking at earlier. "These are recordings of the speeches made to protect the Outer Rims during the fighting, I heard they were the targets for possible invasion for Seperatists bases."

"Let's take a look at it," Leia suggested. Ariel nodded again and then set up the holo-book in between them, turning it on. The faint blue images appeared before them in a hologram of different voices and faces, with labels along the bottom stating which speech it was and where it took place. Using her finger, Ariel navigated their way through the files on the holo-book, looking through them all with Leia in the quiet of the library. For a little while they sat there and listened in on the many talks about sheltering the outer rims from the advances of the Seperatists and giving aid to the civilians who are victims of the ongoing battles. It wasn't too long, however, before they came across a familiar face.

"Look, it's Father," Leia pointed out as they came across an image of Bail Organa speaking at a public conference on the planet Durin. Ariel paused here and tapped on the button would allow them to play the recording. Bails voice reached them in a confident, strong tone as he spoke out to the audience they couldn't currently see, wearing his usual senator's clothes with other leaders and senators sitting off to the side. They listened in as he spoke of the new guidelines and procedures they need to set in motion for the systems who do not have the means to protect their planets on their own, especially those with no sort of military protection. He also explained that some of the more dangerous crime lords live in the outer rim and they wouldn't hesitate to provide an alliance with the Seperatists if they offer a good deal. Bail's speech went on for a few more minutes, and Ariel smiled when she glanced up to see Leia enthralled by it, listening to her father's every word. She truly did admire him and wanted to make him proud of her one day. As the speech neared its end, Bail gestured to the other senators around him who are supportive of this action and would gladly take part in this effort. When he did this, Ariel looked into the faces of the senators to his left, which consisted of two men and one woman, who Bail introduced as Kal Marr, Denvee Boyd and Padme Amidala. Ariel had just enough time to think to herself that Padme Amidala was quite lovely, with her dark brown hair and violet senator's' robes before her attention was snapped to the person who was standing behind her. In a matter of seconds Ariel's face lost a little color and her smile was wiped away as she gazed into a face she has not seen in so very long. The person standing behind senator Amidala was a woman, and not just any woman. It was a woman Ariel knew very well and had thought about every day for the past nine years.

"Mama," she whispered.

"What?" said Leia.

"My mama," Ariel said softly, pausing the recording to point to Karina. "She's there, behind this woman, Senator Amidala."

"This is your mother?" Leia said as she peered at Karina with interested and awe-filled eyes. "Oh Ariel, she was beautiful. You look like her."

"Thanks," Ariel muttered. "But I don't understand, your father said she was deployed to medical centers during the war."

"The date here states that this was only about a month after the war started," Leia said. "This could have taken place before she was deployed."

"I suppose. But what would she be doing at one of these speeches?"

"You did say that she was a friend of my parents."

"But even good friends wouldn't be allowed on stage with the other senators," Ariel told her, shaking her head. "That's only reserved for family, or personal guard, or maybe physicians…"

"But your mother was a healer, right?" Leia said. "Maybe she was there in case of an emergency, you know, like a stand-by or something. It wasn't uncommon for assassination attempts to be made"

"Maybe, but she would be off to the side, not directly behind the senators," Ariel said.

"You said my father told you she would fight if need be, so she might have been there for some sort of protection."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's not alone," Leia explained, her eyes wide as she pointed to a couple more shadowy figures in the background. "Look, there are others there too…I think they might be Jedi!"

"Jedi?" Ariel whispered sharply, her own eyes widening. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fairly sure, they're wearing what the Jedi used to wear and they even have lightsabres."

"What is a lightsabre? And how do you know what the Jedi used to wear?"

"I heard some whispers from the last time father took me out into the city," Leia said, lowering her voice and leaning in closer to Ariel. "They were from people who had lived during the war and remembered the involvement of the Jedi, or have seen them for themselves. Lightsabres are the weapons Jedi would use. See those silver cylinders on their belt? I'm positive that's it."

"Cylinders?" Ariel repeated, staring hard at the small weapons that were hanging at the waist of the men who were standing off to the side, watching silently as Bail made his speech, wearing familiar long brown robes with tan tunics underneath, keeping a guarded, watchful gaze at their surroundings. A sudden memory came to Ariel in that moment, a memory she had thought was long forgotten…

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=..=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

 _Ariel was sitting on her bed, staring down at the silver object in her hands that felt very light and was reflecting the light of the lamps. She had found it hidden in the bottom of the cupboard under the sink, inside a wooden box. She had tried to do some cleaning while Mr. Kudo was away at work, he has been working so hard lately, she wanted to help out in any way she could. She had been looking for some clean rags to wipe down the tables when she found the box tucked away in a corner, with the lid slowly gathering dust. Ever so curious, Ariel had taken the box back to her bed and opened it up, amazed at the gleaming object that was inside. Holding it carefully in her small hands, Ariel observed the object from top to bottom, wondering what on earth it could be. She remembered vaguely the few times she had seen it underneath Mr. Kudo's cloak when he would visit her home on Lothal, but never thought to ask what it was. She spent a little time looking it over and noticed there was a bright red button set in the middle. Furrowing her eyebrows, Ariel moved her thumb towards it, thinking about what would happen if she were to touch it._

" _Ariel, no!"_

 _Ariel jumped a little where she sat and looked over to see Mr. Kudo walking through the front door, looking tired and weary but nonetheless cautious as he stepped through, his eyes on the silver cylinder in her hands._

" _Don't move Ariel, and do not press that button," Mr. Kudo said calmly as he walked over to her and gently took the silver tool out of her hands._

" _I'm sorry, Mr. Kudo," Ariel mumbled, afraid she was in trouble. "I found it under the sink, I didn't mean…"_

" _It's all right, Ariel," Mr. Kudo said, placing the tool back inside the box. "But you must not play with things when you do not know what they are, they could be dangerous. You could have hurt yourself. You must never play with this, do you understand?"_

" _Yes," Ariel said. "What is it, Mr. Kudo?"_

" _It's something I once held dear. I suppose in a way I still do…but I have something much more dear to look after. For now, the past needs to be tucked away so we can focus on the present. It's best for us to leave this be."_

 _Ariel watched as her guardian took the box and went into their little kitchen to place it back underneath the sink, even pulling one of the rags over it._

" _Now, how about we start on late-meal?" Mr. Kudo suggested as he closed the door to the cabinet. "I'm making your favorite, hazelnut soup."_

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"Ariel? Are you okay?"

Leia's voice brought Ariel out of her thoughts and she looked up to see her best friend's concerned face. So many thoughts were running through her head, along with an assumption that didn't seem real, but from what she could see, it was very possible that it was true.

"I'm sorry," Ariel said softly. "I just remembered something. Something I didn't really understand until now."

"What's that?" Leia said.

"I think…I think my guardian might have been a Jedi."

 **Please read and leave a review! See you guys in the next chapter!**


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